CORNELIA, Ga. — The State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating a house fire that killed a trapped elderly woman and her pets while also causing significant injury to a firefighter trying to save her.
The fire happened Friday evening in Cornelia - a community in Habersham County. According to Habersham County Emergency Services Director Chad Black, a Demorest firefighter was taken to an area hospital for treatment of burns to his wrist and back after the ceiling collapse in the home.
He was trying to get to a woman still trapped inside, later identified as 79-year-old Jean Sensoe. Unfortunately, the disabled woman died in the fire and was found on a sofa in the den. Black said that several pets also died in the fire. A family friend later said that two dogs and four cats perished in the fire.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation but appeared to start in the kitchen area based on preliminary findings.