ATLANTA — Three people are dead after a fire ripped through a boarding house in Midtown on Wednesday, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue Department.
Crews were called to a home along State Street NW regarding a fire, and once firefighters arrived, they saw the blaze coming from the two-story residence.
Six people were rescued from the building, and fire officials said three had left before they'd arrived. Two people died at the scene and Atlanta Fire said another person was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for further care.
In an update, fire officials said the third person had died due to their injuries.
The owner of the boarding home said seven people rented rooms.
"Something happened on the front porch because you can see the way it's burnt. That's when one of the guys called me and said I smell smoke," landlord Sammy Jaraysa said.
One of the people who died was a man in his 60s-- who is being remembered as a hero.
"He died because he was disabled and couldn't move too good. He went to everybody's door and got them out," Jaraysa said.
Neighbor Jack Voss said he knew all of the people who lived in the home and is devastated to learn people died.
"It's heartbreaking. You never want to hear that, especially if they're neighbors. It's extremely sad to see. We saw them get carried away in the stretcher," Voss said.
One of the residents injured themselves jumping from a window.
Fire officials said they expect it to take a couple of days to determine what caused the deadly fire.
