On Thursday, the community woke up to devastating news as earlier that morning East Alabama Fire and Valley responded to a house fire that tragically claimed the life of a Valley woman.
Valley Police Chief issued a press release to the Chambers Ledger on the unfortunate incident
“This morning at approximately 2:30 A.M., officers of the Valley Police Department and the East Alabama Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire in the 1100 block of County Road 496.
On arrival, officers found the residence fully involved. They found that the homeowner, Larry C. Earnest (69 years old), had escaped the residence through a window. EAFD-EMS treated him on the scene and then transported him to EAMC-Opelika. His status currently is unknown. Unfortunately, his wife, Jackie Earnest (69 years old), could not escape. Her body was located within the home and will be sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy”, said Reynolds.
It is unknown how the fire started at this time. This incident is being investigated by the Valley Police Department and the State Fire Marshall’s Office.