Sept. 23--LEESBURG, GA-- An early morning fire on Creekside Drive in unincorporated Lee County took the lives of two elderly women and sent one male victim to the hospital.
Lee County Deputy Coroner Hill Mackey said the two deceased females were Louvena Stewart, 91, and her daughter Sarah Jenkins, 71.
Lee County Fire Chief David Forrester said a third victim, a 71-year-old male, survived but was taken to a hospital. His name was not released.
The fire broke out at 5:30 a.m. and three fire stations (Century Station No. 1, Palmyra Station No. 3 and Red Bone Station No. 5) responded. Firefighters from Lee State Prison also responded, Forrester said.
"It only took about 15 minutes to put out the fire," Forrester said, adding there were 18 firefighters on the scene.
Forrester said most of the fire damage was in the living room.
"The victims who didn't survive were sleeping in nearby bedrooms," he said. "It started in the living room at an electric plug socket.
"It appears that there was a device of some sort plugged into the wall but we couldn't determine what it was."
According to Forrester, there was heavy fire damage to the living room, but the rest of the house appeared to have only smoke damage.
It was unclear what injuries the 71-year-old man may have sustained in the fire.
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