Investigators say a space heater may be to blame for a fire that left an Alto woman homeless.
The blaze broke out at 425 Harrison Trail in south Habersham County shortly before 8:30 a.m. on October 9. The renter and one dog escaped the burning mobile home uninjured, but at least two other dogs died in the fire.
A neighbor who called 911 reported seeing flames and said smoke was coming from the house.
Units from Habersham County Emergency Services responded to the scene along with mutual aid from the Cornelia and Baldwin fire departments.
The woman was safely out of the residence when emergency personnel arrived. Firefighters contained the blaze, but it destroyed the 30-year-old single-wide mobile home.
Firefighters were not immediately able to determine what caused the fire, but the woman who lived in the home said a faulty space heater or lamp might have caused it. County fire personnel called in an investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s Office to investigate.
A report released Tuesday by Habersham County Emergency Services says a space heater in the home was plugged into a power strip when the fire started and cannot be eliminated as a possible source.
The American Red Cross assisted the displaced resident with her immediate needs. Red Cross officials said contacting her family members was difficult because the woman’s identification, car keys, and phone all burned in the blaze.
Firefighters remained on the scene for over three hours, putting out hot spots and making sure the fire did not reignite.
