A large house fire tore through a home in northwest Atlanta before dawn, and as the sun came up, firefighters were still combing through the wreckage searching for a woman who may be unable to walk. Crews had not located her as of the latest reports, and it remained unclear whether she was even inside the house when flames broke out.
The fire broke out on Larchmont Court, off Collier Drive, according to FOX 5 Atlanta, which reported that firefighters were still searching inside the home at 7 a.m. Tuesday and working to put out hotspots even as the search continued. The station described the woman they were looking for as wheelchair-bound, and said she had not been located at the time of the report.
Other outlets offered conflicting details on the exact address. WSB-TV reported that Atlanta Fire Rescue responded to a two-story house fire on Larchmont Circle in the Collier Heights neighborhood just after 5:30 a.m., while Atlanta News First placed the blaze at 2920 Larchmont Ct NW, also in Collier Heights.
Neighbor's Tip Sparked the Search
According to WSB-TV, Atlanta Fire Rescue Chief Andrew Anderson said someone who lives behind the home told crews that a wheelchair-bound woman was inside. Firefighters made multiple searches of the structure but, per the same report, had not found her.
Chief Anderson told the station that power lines and a second-floor collapse were among the obstacles slowing down the search effort. The station's report notes those hazards complicated crews' ability to move through the home safely.
Floor Collapse Complicates Rescue Effort
Atlanta News First reported that the home's upper floor collapsed into the lower level, where an elderly person had reportedly been staying, according to officials. The outlet also reported that a woman who lived in an outbuilding behind the home escaped and told firefighters that a second occupant might still be inside.
As of the latest reporting, it remained unresolved whether the woman firefighters were searching for had been found, and the precise address of the fire was reported inconsistently across outlets. A FOX 5 Atlanta crew was at the scene as crews continued working to clear hotspots and complete their search of the home.
