Apartment Fire Fatal

Updated 2:23 p.m.

The early-morning apartment fire that apparently claimed a life also injured a firefighter. Authorities say 74- 0r 75-year-old Billy D. Wilson was trapped in Apartment 24 at Winwood Apartments, 112 N. Erwin St., but it's not certain his death resulted from the blaze.

He had lived there alone since 2002 and will undergo an autopsy, as is standard procedure. The blaze is believed to be accidental and fire investigators think it began in the living room.

Fire chief Scott Carter said investigators found evidence Wilson was a smoker.

Cartersville firefighters got the call about 1:40 a.m., arrived within two minutes and found the single-unit, ground-level apartment heavily involved in fire.

The blaze was contained to two rooms in the apartment, according to Battalion Chief Marty Cornwell. In a press release, fire officials said they aggressively worked to bring the fire under control, but found Wilson dead in the bedroom.

Scanner traffic indicates police on scene apparently tried to get the man out of the apartment, but heavy smoke, extreme heat and visible flames at the door of the apartment thwarted those efforts.

The combined investigation — Cartersville Fire Department, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Cartersville Police Department and Bartow County Coroner — is still ongoing and authorities suspect no foul play.

The injured firefighter suffered a fracture to the extremity and was taken to Cartersville Medical Center where he was treated and released.

The utilized 13 personnel and five pieces of apparatus to mitigate the incident, according to the release.