One person is dead following a house fire last week in East Grenada County that remains under investigation by the sheriff’s office to determine what started the blaze.
The sheriff’s office has confirmed that an elderly woman died in the fire that was a complete loss. Due to the nature of the fire, the woman’s identity has not officially been released.
The Gore Springs Volunteer Fire Department and the Grenada County Sheriff’s Office responded to the fire shortly before 2 a.m. last Tuesday, Oct. 19. Sources say neighbors saw the home on Mike Street fully engulfed in flames when they called 911.
Grenada County Coroner Douglas Yates said a person was pronounced dead at the scene, but results from the state medical examiner will determine the victim’s identity.
“The person found inside the home received extensive burns and we will have to await those results possibly through records,” Yates said.
Mike Street is located in Gore Springs between Graysport Crossing Road and Shurden-Owens Drive.
County Fire Investigator Donnie Willis spent much of last Tuesday at the scene and requested assistance from the State Fire Marshal Office and the agents from the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).
“That’s the protocol we exercise when we’re dealing with a fatal house fire,” Willis said. “We’re being very careful with this investigation. Of course, we don’t want to speculate anything and we want to be as solid as possible.”
