Valley house fire leaves husband hospitalized, his wife deceased

Valley house fire leaves husband hospitalized, his wife deceased

A Valley, Alabama house fire has left a woman deceased and her husband hospitalized and police say the State Fire Marshall’s office is investigating.

​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 at approximately 2:30 A.M. on February 2, 2023.

Officers found the residence fully involved when they arrived to the address, and also 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, was unable to escape,” police said in a press release. Her body was located within the home and will be sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

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.