Tanya Walton, 28, and her father, Jimmy Walton, 72, tragically lost their lives in a house fire in Butler County last Sunday morning.
According to Georgiana Police Chief Jeremy Peagler, a 911 call was received around 3:20 a.m. regarding a fire in the 1100 block of South Palmer Avenue.
Firefighters arrived to find a distressed resident informing them that her husband and daughter were trapped inside the house.
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The chief told WFSA, “Unfortunately, two individuals were confirmed deceased.”
Both the house and a vehicle were completely lost in the fire. Peagler also confirmed that their remains have been sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.
In the meantime, a GoFundMe campaign has been established to raise funds for the remaining family member, as noted by Malasia Clark, a relative organizing the effort.
Clark’s message on the fundraising page indicated that “they were initially able to escape, but Punkin (Tanya) realized she’d left her 2 dogs behind in the house. As she returned inside to retrieve them, Uncle Jim followed her inside to help her escape. Unfortunately, they were unable to escape out of the house in time before it collapsed.”
The family has since raised $12,153 of their $20K goal.
Family members believe a space heater caused the fire, but the Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office is still investigating the official cause.
