EDGEWOOD | Man dies while cooking, apartment catches fire | News

ATLANTA -- An elderly man who passed away while cooking in his apartment most likely died of natural causes, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue officials.

The first call about the fire was received shortly before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The man, whose name has not been released, was cooking on a hot plate in the living room of his unit at the Memorial Heights Apartments on Memorial Drive in southeast Atlanta.

Officials said they believe the man passed away, leaving the hot plate unattended. It caught fire, and the flames quickly spread to a nearby chair.

The fire did not spread beyond the two-room unit, where several people lived, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue officials. Responding officers managed to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher. There were no reports of major damage.

An Atlanta Fire spokesperson said the apartment did not appear to have a working smoke detector.

The man was taken outside, where officials began to perform CPR before they realized he had already been dead for a while, according to investigators; they do not believe smoke inhalation was the cause of death.

Neighbors said the man was 89 years old.