COMMERCE, Ga. — Fire investigators have ruled a late-night house fire in Commerce accidental after crews contained the blaze and treated two residents for smoke inhalation.
Banks County Fire & Emergency Services responded around 11:28 p.m. on December 12 to a reported structure fire at a home on Neal Lane. When firefighters arrived, they found a single-family residence heavily involved with fire.
Crews entered the home and were able to contain the fire to the area where it started, preventing it from spreading throughout the house. Two occupants were inside the home at the time of the fire and were transported by EMS to Northeast Georgia Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation. Both were reported to be in stable condition.
An investigation by the Banks County Fire Department determined the fire was accidental. Officials said a heat lamp used in a pet area at the rear of the home could not be ruled out as a possible cause.
No other injuries were reported. Fire officials estimate the home sustained about 70 percent damage from heat and smoke.
Firefighters from Jackson County Correctional Institution and Lee Arrendale State Prison assisted at the scene.
