Fire Kills 99-Year-Old Collier Heights Historian
Phyllis Lawhorn, who wrote a book on her Atlanta neighborhood's history, died in a house fire Tuesday morning.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in African-American
A house fire in Atlanta's Collier Heights neighborhood on Tuesday morning killed 99-year-old Phyllis Lawhorn, whose home's second floor collapsed as the fire engulfed it. Fire investigators are still working to determine the cause of the blaze.
Why it matters
Lawhorn was a longtime educator and a chronicler of Collier Heights, a neighborhood placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Her death removes a local historian whose written account of the community's past is now part of its record.
Lawhorn taught English and literature for 30 years in Columbia, South Carolina, and Atlanta, and for 27 years at Clark Atlanta University. Fire investigators are still investigating the cause of the blaze, which collapsed the home's second floor.
The players
Phyllis Lawhorn
A 99-year-old educator who taught English and literature for decades and wrote a history of the Collier Heights neighborhood where she lived since 1963.
Atlanta Fire Rescue
The city's fire and rescue agency, which is responding to the fire and will conduct a winter fire safety blitz in the Collier Heights neighborhood.
The details
The fire engulfed Phyllis Lawhorn's home in Collier Heights on Tuesday morning, and the second floor collapsed. Lawhorn wrote a book on the neighborhood's history in her 90s, titled "Atlanta's Collier Heights: Bending with the Wind," and in August 2025 the City of Atlanta gave her a proclamation for her impact on the city.
Timeline
1963: Lawhorn built her house in Collier Heights.
1968: Lawhorn was chosen as one of the first African American teachers at North Fulton High School in Buckhead.
2009: Collier Heights was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
August 2025: The City of Atlanta awarded Lawhorn a proclamation.
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 (morning): House fire killed Lawhorn.
Legacy Landscape
Collier Heights, one of Atlanta's historic African American neighborhoods, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, marking its architectural and cultural significance. The loss of a longtime resident who documented that history in a book places the fire within the broader effort to preserve the neighborhood's record.
Atlanta Fire Rescue will conduct a winter fire safety blitz in Collier Heights, with residents encouraged to take part in fire safety checks. Residents can expect more direct outreach on home safety practices as the season turns colder.
The takeaway
Working smoke alarms and a practiced escape plan are the most direct protections against house fires, especially during colder months when heating use rises. Checking alarms on every floor is a simple step any household can take this week.
Further reading
For more on the neighborhood's heritage, explore African-American coverage tied to Atlanta.
