Habersham County Coroner Kasey McEntire says further tests are needed to positively identify a woman who was found dead inside a burned home in Cornelia.
Early Tuesday, the state fire commissioner’s office identified the woman as 64-year-old Cynthia Claybon. McEntire tells Now Habersham that the release of that information was premature.
“Although the deceased person is believed to be that of Ms. Cynthia Claybon, the occupant of the home, further testing will have to be conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations Crime Lab in Decatur, Georgia, to determine positive identification,” he says.
Firefighters discovered the woman’s body while sifting through fire debris in the basement of the two-story residence at 1689 Heads Ferry Road. The preliminary investigation reveals she was in a second-floor bedroom when the fire started.
Claybon was renting the residence and had lived there for about four years, according to officials.
“Nothing at this point leads to anything suspicious, but the investigation is ongoing,” says Habersham County Emergency Services Director Chad Black. The State Fire Investigations Unit is assisting HCES in the probe. “More than likely, her cause of death was the fire, but that will not be definitive until there is an autopsy in the coming days,” says state fire commissioner spokesperson Austin Gibbons.
According to what neighbors told investigators, Claybon worked from home and rarely traveled outside the house. She was a friendly neighbor, they said.
Two-alarm fire
A caller reported the fire to Habersham County E-911 shortly after 2 p.m. on Oct. 19. When firefighters arrived, the 22-year-old, 4,367 square-foot structure located on the Chattahoochee River banks was enveloped in flames. Eyewitnesses say the fire started on the home’s main level.
“We are thankful for the bravery and hard work shown by Habersham County officials in this case,” says state Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King. “Because the home was on a hillside, the Habersham County Fire Department had to hand pull their lines to extinguish the fire.”
“Crews were unable to get apparatus close to the structure due to the driveway and had to lay hand lines several hundred feet to get water on the fire,” explains Black.
Firefighters discovered the body after they knocked down the flames enough to safely enter the residence.
Multiple units from Habersham County Emergency Services responded to the call and mutual aid from Lee Arrendale, Demorest, and Baldwin Fire Departments.
“All authorities ask for prayers for the victim’s loved ones,” says Commissioner King.
This is the 66th fire fatality in Georgia this year.
The State Fire Commissioner’s Office has corrected the spelling of the victim’s last name. This article has been updated to reflect that change.
