SNELLVILLE, Ga. — One person is dead after a house caught on fire in Snellville on Thursday, according to fire officials.
A police officer with Gwinnett County called fire and emergency services after seeing "a house on fire with the roof starting to cave in" on Eli Drive in the southwest part of the city. Firefighters arrived at the home around 11 p.m. and said the heavy fire was coming from the windows.
Fire officials deployed several hoses and then went to search the home, where they found the remains of one person. Around 11:34 p.m., fire crews had the fire under control and said no other injuries were reported.
The officer told fire officials that he first saw flames coming from the chimney, but when he got closer realized the fire had spread throughout the home. Gwinnett Fire said the officer attempted to alert, and rescue victims, "but intense heat forced him to retreat to safety."
Investigators are still looking for the cause of the fire. The name of the victim and cause of death will be released by the medical examiner's office in Gwinnett County.
