Two sisters who were rescued from a massive home fire in Marietta early Tuesday morning have died.
Media reports say Marietta firefighters spent hours battling the blaze at the historic Willingham House in the 400 block of Church Street. Fire officials told Channel 2 the women were unconscious when they were found sitting behind the front door inside of the burning home, according to an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Firefighters arrived to find flames leaping from one side of the two story home, according to Fox 5.
Once firefighters were told two women were trapped inside they put a ladder to the window and went in the bedroom; however, they didn’t find anyone upstairs. It was later that officials learned the victims were downstairs at the bottom of the steps.
The women were identified as Judy P. Willingham and Andra Pearce, Channel 2 reported.
Neighbors watched in shock as firefighters pulled the two women out, carried them to the front lawn and started CPR. The victims were then rushed to a local hospital where they later passed away.
One woman was 72-years-old and the other victim was 69-years-old.
“Firefighters say flames were shooting out of the sunroom when they arrived, pushing smoke and flames throughout the rest of the large home, the AJC article reads. “The house has stood since 1920 in a long row of historic buildings leading toward the Marietta Square.”
Judy McCall-Smith couldn’t believe it when she heard her stepmother and her step aunt had died in the home. She had spent many years in the house.
“I grew up in this house, and I hate to see it this way,” McCall-Smith told news reporters. “It’s a very sad situation for everyone involved.”
No other details have been released and the cause of the fire is under investigation.