Photo Credit: WRGA

A 65-year-old Armuchee woman tragically died in a house fire on Friday, with her beloved pet also perishing in the blaze. Belinda Fender was discovered deceased at her residence at 1459 Old Dalton Road after emergency crews responded to reports of a fire.

The Rome Floyd Fire Department (RFFD) responded to the scene around 10:30 a.m. Friday. Upon arrival, crews discovered Fender unresponsive near the rear door of her home. She was later pronounced dead by public safety officials, and her dog was found deceased on a bed inside the residence, both succumbing to probable smoke inhalation.

According to RFFD Division Chief Jamie Stone, it appeared a small fire had occurred overnight and subsequently self-extinguished before firefighters arrived.

“We found the victim, who had mobility issues and existing breathing difficulties, deceased by the rear door,” Stone explained. He suggested that Fender was likely attempting to escape the residence when she was overcome by smoke.

Fender’s sister, Sherry Duvall, who also lives nearby, shed light on the conditions of the home. Duvall recounted that her sister’s residence was in disrepair, but Fender had resisted attempts to renovate it due to her fixed income.

“We had been asking her for a while to let them renovate the trailer,” Duvall said. “But she was on a fixed income and could not afford the new rent if they fixed up her place. You can’t pick up extra overtime when you’re retired.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by authorities, according to Chief Stone. Fender’s body will be transported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) for an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.