ATLANTA — A house fire in Troup County took the lives of a mother and daughter just hours into New Year's Eve, fire officials report.
Around 12:06 a.m. on Saturday, December 31, 2022, the Troup County Fire Department received a 911 call regarding a fire at a home located on Old Kimbrough Road in LaGrange.
Units arrived to find a home with some of the roof collapsed with heavy flames. Firefighters said they attacked the fire from the outside using hand lines with water and firefighting foam to suppress the main body of the fire.
Once the flames were knocked down, emergency responders discovered the bodies of 80-year-old Elizabeth "Beth" McDonald and her daughter Elizabeth "Libby" McDonald, 58, inside the home.
One volunteer firefighter also provided on-scene assistance, as well as Troup County Fire Chief Michael Strickland and Fire Marshal Kevin Norred.
The Troup County Fire Marshal and State Fire Marshal's Office determined the fire to be accidental in nature. They said it started in the washroom off the back porch due to heat lamps.
Their determined time of death was around 2:32 a.m. on Saturday, according to Troup County Coroner Erin Hackley. They will undergo autopsies at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's office in Decatur.
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