Gwinnett County Mom Kathy Patterson, 2 daughters killed in house fire

A mother and her two young daughters were killed in a house fire Tuesday night in Gwinnett County.

The deadly fire happened at a home in the 1000 block of Pointer Ridge near Tucker, just across the DeKalb County line. Firefighters worked throughout the night and into Wednesday moing to locate and recover the bodies of all three victims. The recovery effort was delayed because of conces about the stability of the damaged home.

Gwinnett County Fire officials said the father was home during the fire, but made it out and suffered minor injuries. He told investigators his family was upstairs getting ready for bed when he heard a loud popping sound. The father went downstairs, saw the fire and yelled for his wife and daughters, ages 9 and 12, to get out.

"The father exited the home and realized that the others were unable to escape," Captain Tommy Rutledge said in a news release. "He made attempts to re-enter the home to save his family, but was forced back due to intense heat and flames."

Investigators said a neighbor tried to help the dad get inside the home, but wasn't successful. The dad was treated and released by paramedics at the scene.

Captain Tommy Rutledge said the flames were too powerful for firefighters to enter the structure once they arrived. They were forced to battle the blaze from outside before being able to enter the home. 

"The bodies of all three victims have been tued over to the Medical Examiner's Office," Rutledge said Wednesday moing. "The ME will determine positive identification and cause of death."