Two killed and one injured in Lizella house fire early Tuesday morning

A predawn blaze Tuesday in Lizella left two people dead and a third in the burn unit at an Augusta hospital, Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones said.

The fire, reported at 4:28 a.m., happened at 2296 Sofkee Circle in a subdivision just south of Lake Tobesofkee.

The two people killed were on Friday identified as a mother and daughter — Rachelle “Shelly” Whitaker, 41, and Caroline Whitaker, 5 — Jones said.

Another victim, Rachelle Whitaker’s husband, Cody, 36, was flown to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta where he was still being treated Friday, Jones said.

The coroner said the fire “fully engulfed” the house and two automobiles.

This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 11:06 AM.

Joe Kovac Jr.

The Telegraph

Joe Kovac Jr. writes about local news and features for The Telegraph, with an eye for human-interest stories. Joe is a Warner Robins native and graduate of Warner Robins High. He joined the Telegraph in 1991 after graduating from the University of Georgia. As a Pulliam Fellowship recipient in 1991, Joe worked for the Indianapolis News. His stories have appeared in the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and Atlanta Magazine. He has been a Livingston Award finalist and won numerous Georgia Press Association and Georgia Associated Press awards.