Clarke County Woman Dies in Apartment Fire

ATLANTA – Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King announced today that a woman died in a fire off of Westchester Drive in Athens. The 48-year-old, 1,044-square-foot apartment caught fire on Saturday, December 5, around 4:30 a.m.

“After arriving at the scene, the fire department made forced entry to find the victim had fallen from a second-floor bedroom into the dining room after the fire collapsed the apartment’s second floor,” said Commissioner King. “Our investigators believe the fire started in the apartment’s kitchen.”

State and local investigators are awaiting a positive ID by the GBI Crime Lab in this case. Commissioner King’s State Fire Investigations Unit worked with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, Athens-Clarke County Fire Department, and the GBI on this case. The fire is still under investigation by local police.

This fire fatality marks the 85th Georgia fire fatality of 2020. State and local investigators will release the victim’s identity when it becomes available.

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The mission of the Office of the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner is to protect Georgia families by providing access to vital insurance products and safe buildings through fair regulation that creates economic opportunities for all Georgians.