Woman killed, brother hospitalized in Chupp Road townhome fire in Lithonia

LITHONIA, Ga. - One woman died in a townhome fire on Chupp Road in Lithonia, according to the DeKalb County fire department.

The fire department responded to the fire at approximately 10:20 a.m. on Monday.

One other person, who was in the home, was rushed to the hospital. It appears that the townhome was occupied by a brother and a sister.

The townhome is located in the 6800 block of Chupp Road near Covington Highway.

Brother remembers sister fondly, worries about brother in hospital

Vincent Sanders says his family members were in that residence.  

"I really don't know. It was my brother and sister's apartment," Sanders said. 

He rushed over to find firefighters braving the heat and smoke to battle the blaze, but what he did not find was his sister, Ga Juan Sanders, or his brother, Avon. 

"One lived upstairs and one lived downstairs," he said. 

His brother was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital. Firefighters say it was precautionary since he is elderly man. 

Then Sanders got the heartbreaking news. His sister died in the fire. 

"She's just outgoing, kindhearted," he fondly remembered. 

He says his siblings lived here together for at least 5 years. 

While investigators still don't know what sparked the fire. They have an idea what killed Ms. Sanders. They believe she suffered extreme smoke inhalation. It was not clear if an autopsy would be performed. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.