Victim who died in Christmas Day fire in Columbus is identified. Marshal updates probe
The identity of the person who died in a fire at a Columbus apartment complex Christmas Day has been released.
Valerie Lindsey, 46, is the deceased victim, Muscogee County coroner Buddy Bryan told local reporters in a text message.
Columbus Fire & EMS division chief John Shull, who serves as the department’s fire marshal, told the Ledger-Enquirer on Thursday the fire department was called around 5 a.m. Wednesday about a fire at Westover Glen Condominiums, 4312 Old Macon Road.
Shull said approximately four apartment units were affected and an estimated 12 residents have been displaced due to the fire. The female victim was found inside one of the apartments that caught fire, he said.
Friday, in follow-up interview with L-E, Shull said the cause of the fire still is under investigation. He declined to say whether arson is suspected.
“There’s a lot of information to collect as far as witness statements and the physical evidence that’s present inside of the structure,” he said. “. . . We’re still investigating cause and origin.”
Ledger-Enquirer reporter Kelby Hutchison contributed to this article.
