Ga. Couple Burned in Home Fire Succumb to Injuries

Feb. 28--Officials in Dalton, Ga., on Wednesday said the couple injured in a Feb. 20 house fire on Griffin Street have died of their burns at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Ga.

Whitfield County Coroner Bobbie Dixon confirmed that Joy Hooper died around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday and Danny Hooper died about 8:10 a.m. Wednesday. Dixon said both were 63.

The Hoopers were injured in a blaze that firefighters began battling at 3:07 a.m. Feb. 20 at 217 Griffin St., fire officials said in a news release that day. Firefighters found Danny Hooper unconscious in a front bedroom in cardiac arrest, and Joy Hooper was found not breathing on the floor of a back bedroom. A neighbor had called 911 after spotting the fire.

Firefighters performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Danny Hooper and ventilated Joy Hooper to help her breathe until ambulance crews arrived. Officials said the victims were taken to Hamilton Medical Center in less than 30 minutes and flown to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center.

Family members told the Dalton Daily Citizen that the Hoopers were taken off life support Tuesday. They said both victims had been in critical condition since arriving at the burn center last week and were not expected to survive.

Dixon said the Hoopers marked the county's second and third fire deaths in the past two weeks.

Dalton Fire Chief Bruce Satterfield said there were no working smoke detectors in the home.

"When there are working smoke detectors, we find the people outside," he said.

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