Victims of deadly Rockmart house fire identified

ROCKMART, Ga. - Officials have released the names of the couple who died in a Rockmart house fire Friday morning.

Clifford Singleton, 73, and Mary Singleton, 55, were found inside the burned out Sciple Street home. Officials said their 39-year-old daughter, Melissa Singleton, was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition.

“We had what we feel was a flash over type event sometime in the fire that made the fire a lot worse as we were working our way into the structure. The fire crews got pushed back a couple times fighting the fire and then had to work their way back in when they located the person that we were able to remove from the house,” Chief Todd Queen, Rockmark Fire and Emergency Services.

Police said they have located a fourth person, who was identified by investigators as Ricky Venable. Witnesses said he ran from the scene crying for help. Investigators have since talked to him about the fire.

Firefighters no longer believe the fire to be suspicious, but rather was an issue with space heaters. Their investigation continues.

“We believe right now that the fire began in the house, as far as where, we're not sure right now. It is extensively damaged by the fire. And we just don't know right now what happened in there,” said Chief Queen.

State fire investigators said they will be focusing on propane heaters as the source of the fire.

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