ATLANTA - Four firefighters under criminal investigation for their response to a house fire that killed an elderly woman were terminated Friday.

DeKalb County officials announced the firings Friday, a day after releasing an investigative report stating firefighters failed to follow proper procedure in responding to 74-year-old Ann Bartlett's call before dawn Sunday.

Crews left after seeing no evidence of flames or smoke, hours before a blaze fully engulfed the home and killed Bartlett and her dog, authorities said.

"These officers didn't follow policy, and that's why they're being terminated," county public safety director William Z. Miller said at a news conference.

The four firefighters are: acting officer in charge William Greene, Capt. Tony L. Motes, Battalion Chief Lesley Clark and Battalion Chief Bennie J. Paige. A fifth firefighter, Capt. Sell Caldwell, has been put on leave with pay as an investigation into his actions continues, DeKalb County spokeswoman Shelia Edwards said.

Paige did not immediately return a call for comment Friday. There were no phone listings for the rest of the firefighters and it was not known if they had retained attorneys.

The report said Bartlett called 911 just after 1 a.m. to report a fire in her two-story wood home in Dunwoody, a northern Atlanta suburb. The call disconnected and the 911 operator was unable to re-establish connection with Bartlett, according to the report.

The report shows that firefighters who arrived on the scene didn't see evidence of a fire but didn't verify the address, didn't make contact with Bartlett and didn't approach the home. Most of the firefighters who responded to the call stayed in their vehicles, only getting out to help the trucks turn around in the cul-de-sac near Bartlett's home, according to the report.

About six hours later, the 911 center received a call about a house fire at the same address from a neighbor. Firefighters arrived to find the house engulfed in flames and Bartlett dead from smoke inhalation.

Dunwoody police have launched a criminal investigation into the fire department's response, police Chief Billy Grogan said Friday.

Edwards said she was not aware police were investigating and declined comment until she could speak with county CEO Burrell Ellis and other officials.

Bartlett's daughter, Ruth, said Friday she hopes "every firefighter learns from this." She said her family wants an apology from the firefighters.

"We know those four men feel awful," she said in a telephone interview. "First, we were very shocked. Then we were very sad, and as the facts started to unravel, we became mad. Now as we see they are resolving and taking actions they deem appropriate, we are starting to heal."