An elderly disabled man has died following an apartment fire in DeKalb County, as firefighters were unable to save him from the heavy flames that engulfed his residence. The blaze commenced before 2 a.m. at the Snapwood Apartments on the 4500 block of Snapfinger Woods Drive. DeKalb County Fire crews, upon arrival, found the building substantially overcome by flames. "Once we arrived, we learned that we had one victim inside," Capt. Jaeson Daniels said, in a statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta. The man was discovered in the apartment's laundry room, but despite the frantic efforts to rescue him, he ultimately succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Capt. Daniels also noted that the fire appeared to have been started in the man's bedroom, though the exact cause has yet to be officially ascertained. A neighbor, who preferred to remain unnamed, was reportedly the first to spring to action upon noticing the fire. "I looked out my window, and I said, ‘Oh my God. It’s a fire,” the neighbor said, according to a Atlanta News First interview. This same neighbor and her daughter attempted to ensure the safety of others by alerting residents, banging on doors to encourage a swift evacuation. "We got to save these people!’ So that’s what we did."
The victim's identity has not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin. Described as elderly and disabled, he was believed to have been living with someone else who was not present at the time of the fire. While the fire was contained to the man's apartment, the incident has unfortunately displaced four families due to resultant smoke and water damage. Those affected are being assisted with relocation efforts by the Red Cross. No other injuries have been reported in connection with this incident.
