Tragedy at Concord Crossing: 3 dead, 30 displaced in accidental fire
Mother, 2 children killed in Cobb County fire
A mother and two children were killed by a fire late Sunday night in their Cobb County apartment. The family was originally from Haiti, according to sources. The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental. Annie Mapp reporting.
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Three people are dead – two children and one adult — after a massive fire tore through an apartment building in Cobb County late Sunday night, according to the Cobb County fire department.
It was initially reported that at least six people, including a child, were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries and there had been "some fatalities." The media were informed shortly after 7 a.m. that three people had died. One adult and one child were still in critical condition as of late Monday morning. No other information about the victims has been released at this time.
Fire at Concord Crossing apartments
What we know:
Cobb County fire crews arrived at the Concord Crossing apartments off Woodsong Way to find multiple residents stranded by the flames late Sunday night. Firefighters used ladders to rescue at least six people from the second floor of the burning building.
Officials confirmed that one of the victims, a child, was in cardiac arrest as they were transported to a nearby hospital. Investigators said preliminary information indicates the fire was accidental, but this could change as the investigation continues.
Residents describe desperate escapes
What they're saying:
Third-floor resident Arianna Hazel Applegate recalled the moment the smell of smoke turned into a life-threatening inferno.
In the chaos, Applegate’s only focus was her family. "First thing I did was scream to my grandmother and Aiden... fire, fire like screaming to the top of my lungs and I scooped up my dog. I didn’t have jacket on, I didn’t have shoes or socks on." While she and her human family members escaped, she noted she could not find her two cats.
Click here if you would like to help Ariana and her family.
"We went outside, and we saw a highlight of orange," Shayla Duran-Diaz said.
As flames spread, her family scrambled to escape. Duran-Diaz grabbed her younger brothers while her father worked to save her paralyzed uncle. "He can’t move half his body, he was bedridden, my dad literally dragged him out," she said.
3 dead after Cobb County apartment fire
Three people are dead after an apartment fire late Sunday night in Cobb County. This is a developing news story. Kaitlyn Pratt reporting.
Once safe, Duran-Diaz realized her neighbor’s upstairs apartment was fully engulfed. She grabbed a fire extinguisher from under her sink and tried to breach the unit, but she was unable to open the door. "I went back outside, and I blew the extinguisher at the second-story apartment, but that didn’t really do anything," she said.
Cobb County firefighters arrived to a chaotic scene, deploying ladders to rescue approximately 12 other residents from their balconies. Lt. Steve Bennett, public information officer for Cobb County Fire, described the intense pressure on first responders as they balanced life-saving measures with active firefighting.
2 children, 1 adult die in Cobb County fire
Two children and one adult are dead after a devastating fire late Sunday night in Cobb County. Annie Mapp reporting.
"We had people tied up doing CPR while people are fighting fire," Bennett said. He noted the emotional toll the incident took on the crew, adding, "It’s especially hurtful and devastating when it’s young children."
FOX 5 Atlanta has learned that the mother and two children who were killed and the other two family members who were hospitalized were originally from Haiti. No other information has been released about the victims at this time.
Red Cross assisting residents
What's next:
Approximately 30 residents have been displaced by the blaze; the Red Cross and a local church are currently providing warmth and emergency assistance to the victims. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
"I’m in a state of shock and numbness," said one resident who lived on the top floor and lost two cats in the blaze. "Everything I’ve worked hard for over 11 years... it’s gone."