Investigators say the late-night blaze appears accidental; dozens were displaced.
SMYRNA, Ga. — A late-night apartment fire in unincorporated Cobb County killed two children and an adult, injured several others and forced about 30 residents from their homes, fire officials said. Crews were called to the Concord Crossing Apartments shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday.
The blaze drew a rapid, multi-part response: firefighters attacked heavy flames while also using ladders to rescue people trapped on upper floors and rushing multiple victims to hospitals. Investigators have not released the victims’ names, and the county medical examiner’s office has not identified the dead. Officials said the fire appears accidental, but the exact cause remains under investigation as residents begin the search for housing and basic necessities.
Firefighters arrived to find flames pushing out of a front window of a second-floor unit on Woodsong Way, off Old Concord Road, officials said. The fire threatened the third-floor apartment above and spread quickly through the building. Neighbors and bystanders yelled that people were still inside, Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services Lt. Steve Bennett said in interviews carried by local outlets. Crews began suppressing the fire and searching the unit at the same time, pulling six victims from the apartment and rushing them to a hospital while responders performed lifesaving efforts at the scene.
Three of those victims — two children and one adult — did not survive, officials said. The department said an additional adult and a child remained in critical condition as of Monday, while another person suffered smoke-related injuries. In one account provided by investigators, a sixth person survived after jumping from a balcony. Officials said at least one child was in cardiac arrest during transport. Bennett described the scene as a “dynamic situation,” saying responders were doing CPR, searching for victims and fighting fire at once.
Rescues extended beyond the unit where the fire began. Firefighters used ground ladders to reach balconies and porches and bring residents down from upper floors when hallways and stairwells were blocked by heat and smoke. District Chief Justin Green said multiple people were stranded on balconies and needed to be rescued. Some residents suffered minor injuries, officials said, as crews moved through thick smoke in cold nighttime conditions. Local reports described wind helping drive the fire, and temperatures dropping below freezing as families gathered outside in pajamas and light clothing.
The fire left major damage across a section of the complex. Officials said eight apartments were heavily damaged and 24 units were deemed uninhabitable, forcing residents to leave with little warning and, in some cases, without shoes, coats or medications. The estimate of people displaced stood at about 30. Investigators said the fire is believed to have started in a second-floor corner unit and spread upward, though they cautioned that the early assessment could change as the inquiry continues.
Investigators said the fire “appears accidental in nature,” according to preliminary findings announced Monday. Fire officials said they were also looking into whether smoke detectors were working in the building. The department has not said what, if anything, ignited first, and it has not announced any code violations tied to the property. Officials also have not said whether the building had sprinklers, whether residents reported alarms, or how long it took for fire crews to gain access to the unit where victims were found.
Relief efforts began within hours. The American Red Cross and a local church provided warming space and emergency assistance, officials said. The Red Cross said it assisted five families totaling 20 people, while additional residents sought help from friends, relatives and neighbors. A nearby Church of the Nazarene opened its doors overnight to help keep displaced residents warm, according to local reporting citing fire officials. By Monday, volunteers and residents carried bags, plastic bins and salvaged belongings past fire trucks and charred windows as investigators moved through the damaged building.
Residents described frantic moments as smoke spread and flames lit the night sky. Third-floor resident Arianna Hazel Applegate said she yelled to alert her family, grabbed her dog and fled without shoes or a jacket. “I still have my life. I have my son and my grandmother and my dog,” she said in an interview carried by local outlets, adding that it was devastating to lose what she had built over more than a decade. Another resident, Shayla Duran-Diaz, said her family rushed to escape while her father dragged a bedridden relative from danger. Nearby, others watched rescues unfold from balconies and porches as firefighters moved ladders into place.
Police assisted at the scene, and the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office said it was not releasing identities as investigators worked, according to local reports. Fire officials have not announced a timeline for a final cause determination, nor have they said when residents might be allowed to retrieve additional belongings. The department said more details could be released as the investigation continues and as victims’ relatives are notified.
By Monday afternoon, crews had secured the scene and investigators continued documenting damage inside the building while displaced families sought temporary housing. Officials said the next milestone will be an updated investigative briefing once more information is confirmed, including the fire’s origin and the condition of those still hospitalized.
Author note: Last updated February 24, 2026.