By Kelly Kazek
kelly@athensnews-courier.com
—
A woman who was badly burned when she was discovered in her unit at Elmwood Apartments by police and firefighters late Friday night died not long before midnight, authorities said.
Vickie Strasser, 52, was taken by ambulance at about 10:40 p.m. to Athens-Limestone Hospital with second- and third-degree burns over 95 percent of her body. MedFlight was called to rush her to Huntsville Hospital at about 11:30 p.m., but she died before the helicopter arrived.
According to Capt. Floyd Johnson of Athens Police Department, the Emergency 911 Center received a report just after 10:30 p.m. that a smoke alarm was sounding inside one of the apartments on Elm Street. Firefighters were called at 10:33 p.m. and arrived on the scene at 10:38 p.m.
“When Athens Fire & Rescue arrived on the scene they had to forcibly enter the apartment the smoke was coming from,” Johnson said. “Firefighters removed Strasser and administered first aid until an ambulance arrived.”
Strasser was home alone at the time of the fire.
Johnson said the cause of the blaze is under investigation by Athens Fire and Rescue, Athens Police and the State Fire Marshal’s office. Unconfirmed reports from neighbors at the scene said the fire began from a cigarette.
Johnson said damage to the apartment was “limited,” and no other units were damaged by the fire.
Johnson said the fire department’s quick arrival helped contain the fire.
