Mobile home fire that killed Athens woman began in kitchen, officials say

Firefighters at the scene of a fatal fire on Nowhere Road

By Joe Johnson

The blaze that killed an Athens woman Wednesday was determined to have been caused by an accidental kitchen fire, according to the Athens-Clarke County Fire and Emergency Services Department.

The victim was identified by Athens-Clarke County Coroner Sonny Wilson as 52-year-old Juana Morales Garcia, who lived alone at 130 Nowhere Road.

"Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries," Fire Chief Jeff Scarbrough said. “It is very important to always keep an eye on what you are cooking and to never leave the food you are cooking unattended."

Firefighters responded to Garcia’s mobile home on a 2:24 p.m. report that it was on fire, and after extinguishing the blaze, they found the woman’s body.

The coroner said that Garcia’s body was to be transported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab for an autopsy to officially determine the cause of death.