DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A mother and four children who died over the weekend in an unthinkably tragic house fire have now been identified by authorities.
According to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner's Office, the victims included 27-year-old mother Quaniece Gregory, 8-year-old India Gregory, 5-year-old Jacob Seabram, 4-year-old Thomas Reese and 1-year-old Shirley Reese.
DeKalb County firefighters got the call about the fire on Del Rio Terrace just before 1 a.m., Saturday. Officials said heavy flames and smoke were pouring out of the front door and windows when they got there.
Firefighters were able to get into the home, but the smoke and fire was too much. They later found the victims inside their bedrooms.
11Alive's Joe Ripley spoke with a woman who did not want to give her name, but she said she owned the home.
"Honestly, I feel like I'm in a bad dream," she said. "Imagine that being you or someone you know. I just didn’t know what to say to him. They were a great family actually. They were great people. The husband is hard-working. My condolences go out to him. This is just really a tragic, tragic situation.”
The homeowner said the family had been renting the home for nearly six months. She said the adult victim's husband was a truck driver and had been out of town when the fire started.
"A this time our hearts just go out to the family," DeKalb County fire spokesman Capt. Dion Bentley said, with emotion in his voice. "It's a tough morning for the guys."
According to the medical examiner's office, postmortem examinations will be conducted.
On Jan. 13, DeKalb fire officials said they believe the preliminary cause of the fire is related to an electrical issue. Smoke detectors were present in the home, but they said they can’t tell if they were functioning. There is still a joint investigation with multiple agencies working to get an exact cause.