Victim in Fatal Cumming House Fire Identified

The person who died inside a burning home in Cumming on Monday morning has been identified by the Forsyth County Department, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says.

57-year-old Richard Hunt was found dead inside his home in the 7700 block of Holyoke Road on Monday morning by firefighters. Although the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, fire officials are confident that the blaze was accidental. Investigators will return to the scene on Tuesday to search for answers.

Fire Department spokesman Jason Shivers told the AJC that neighbors of the victim called 911 at approximately 9:30 a.m. Monday to report that Hunt’s house was on fire. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but the home was damaged extensively and will likely be demoloshed.

Shivers told the AJC that upon examining the mostly-destroyed home, investigators discovered a fire alarm system of an obsolete design. Shivers believed that the smoke detectors had been inoperable for some time.