Intense early morning house fire in Haralson County kills two people

HARALSON COUNTY, Ga. - Two people are dead after a fire tore through a home in Haralson County early Monday morning, Sheriff Stacy Williams confirmed to FOX 5.

Investigators are now trying to figure out how the blaze started.

"It’s a tragedy, to say the least," Sheriff Williams said. "There is so much heavy structural damage. The whole roof is caved in on top of the interior of the structure."

Williams said a driver on Highway 27 saw the flames and called first responders around 5 a.m.

By the time firefighters got there, it was already too late.

"First responders responded to the scene and ultimately relocated two bodies inside the residence," the sheriff said.

Williams did not believe anyone else was in the home at the time.

FOX 5’s camera captured a state arson investigator with his K9 sniffing through the charred remnants of the home in search of a possible accelerant.

As of now, there’s no indication that the blaze is suspicious.

"When people are asleep, a lot of the time the smoke will put you under," Sheriff Williams warned. "Unless you wake up coughing, or you hear something, most of the time people don’t know, and they die in their sleep."

The sheriff said it’s not clear yet whether there were working smoke detectors in the home, but the tragedy should serve as a reminder to all.

"It brings awareness to the [importance] of having smoke detection devices in people's houses to get that first alert to get out and get out safely," he said.

The identities of the two victims have not been released, pending positive identification of their remains and notification of family.