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Fire tears through retirement community in east Georgia

Firefighters battle a blaze at the Marshall Square Retirement Resort in Evans, Ga.,Tuesday morning, June 2, 2015. Officials say two residents of Marshall Square retirement community are unaccounted for after fire destroyed much of the building this morning, according to the Augusta Chronicle. More than 80 residents of the upscale retirement resort in the heart of Evans were forced to flee for safety when fire alarms went off between 3 and 3:30 a.m. (Michael Holahan /The Augusta Chronicle via AP)
Firefighters battle a blaze at the Marshall Square Retirement Resort in Evans, Ga.,Tuesday morning, June 2, 2015. Officials say two residents of Marshall Square retirement community are unaccounted for after fire destroyed much of the building this morning, according to the Augusta Chronicle. More than 80 residents of the upscale retirement resort in the heart of Evans were forced to flee for safety when fire alarms went off between 3 and 3:30 a.m. (Michael Holahan /The Augusta Chronicle via AP) Firefighters battle a blaze at the Marshall Square Retirement Resort in Evans, Ga.,Tuesday morning, June 2, 2015. Officials say two residents of Marshall Square retirement community are unaccounted for after fire destroyed much of the building this morning, according to the Augusta Chronicle. More than 80 residents of the upscale retirement resort in the heart of Evans were forced to flee for safety when fire alarms went off between 3 and 3:30 a.m. (Michael Holahan /The Augusta Chronicle via AP)

EVANS, Ga. (AP) – Officials in east Georgia say two people are unaccounted for after an early morning fire tore through a retirement community.

The Augusta Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1FrO649 ) fire alarms went off shortly after 3 a.m. at the Marshall Square retirement community in Evans. The newspaper says the blaze had destroyed most of the central part of the multi-story complex by 5 a.m. and was spreading into the eastern wing.

Residents, many in their pajamas and using walkers or wheelchairs, were evacuated and taken to the auditorium of the nearby county government center. County emergency and operations director Pam Tucker said many residents had been picked up by family members by 8 a.m.

Columbia County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Jeremy Wallen said two of the community’s 85 residents were not accounted for.

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Information from: The Augusta Chronicle , http://www.augustachronicle.com