Man blames negligence after wife dies from Meriwether County apartment fire
Heartbroken man wants justice for wife killed by fire
A husband in Meriwether County wants management held accountable after his wife died in a fire at their apartment complex. According to John Campbell, there was a leak in his ceiling that maintenance never fixed. His lawyer believes that leak caused the electrical fire that killed Rubynell Favors who is disabled.
GREENVILLE, Ga. - A deadly apartment fire is under investigation in Meriwether County. The victim's family members are now demanding answers after they say the incident could've been prevented.
Woman killed, Greentree Village apartment destroyed by fire
What we know:
On Jan. 18, a fire broke out at Greentree Village Apartments on South Talbotton Street in Greenville. The affected building had four living units.
Firefighters noticed the fire coming from one of the units and began an aggressive attack to put it out.
The crew found 60-year-old Rubynell Favors trapped inside and rescued her. Unfortunately, she died from her injuries.
A man who was also inside managed to evacuate. He was assessed by medical personnel on the scene and taken to a nearby hospital.
The firefighters were able to get a handle on the fire and put it out.
Despite the fire originating in one of the units, the other three were displaced due to smoke and water damage.
Family devastated by Meriwether County apartment fire
What we know:
John Campbell lived at the apartment complex with his wife, Rubynell. Campbell made it out, but Favors didn't survive.
"No one should die the way that Ms. Favors did, and no one should have to go through what Mr. Campbell went through. Having to leave the person that he'd been with for 30 years," Attorney L. Chris Stewart said.
"She told me to ‘go, go, go, go, go. I love you. I love you. I love you.’ I told her I loved her," John Campbell explained through tears.
Campbell says he had complained to management about a leaking ceiling which was never fixed. This is what his attorneys believe led to the fire.
"Ms. Favors and Mr. Campbell had been complaining for an extended period of time about leaks in the ceiling that we believe led to an electrical fire. Witnessess said the fire started in the attic area from what they saw," Stewart explained.
The other side:
A regional manager with CAHEC management, which oversees the apartment complex, tells FOX 5 they had no knowledge of a leak at that unit and did not have any open work orders. The manager said the company is cooperating with everyone involved.
But, Campbell and his attorneys say he did inform both management and maintenance of the issues in their unit prior to the fire.
What we don't know:
We still don't know what caused the apartment to catch on fire.
What's next:
The Georgia State Fire Marshals Office will investigate the cause.
The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents.
"We will be filing a lawsuit against the apartment complex, the owners, and management," Campbell's lawyer said.
The Source: The information in this article reported by FOX 5 Atlanta's Kim Leoffler was confirmed by the Meriwether County Department of Fire and Rescue.