Victim identified in Miltona house fire

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office identified 57-year-old Terry Lyn Gaarsland as the victim of Sunday’s fatal house fire in Miltona.

At 5:55 a.m. Sunday, the sheriff’s office received calls of a house fire on the 300 block of First Street. The caller said heavy smoke and visible flames were coming from the home.

1 dead from house fire in Miltona

Once officials arrived at the scene, they were told the home might be occupied. The Miltona Fire Department was able to gain entry to the two-story home and found Gaarsland.

The sheriff’s office said Gaarsland was extricated from the home and did not show signs of life. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and Gaarsland was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office with assistance from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.