Two Overnight Fires Destroy Homes

Separate fires destroyed two houses overnight in Douglas County, but both families got out safely, and no injuries were reported, according to Fire Marshal Scott Bishop of the Douglas County Fire Department. The names of the residents have not been released.

The two fires were in different parts of the county and unrelated, and both are under investigation to determine their causes.

The second fire, which occurred around 2 a.m., may have been more dangerous, occurring in the middle of Kingswood Subdivision off Kings Highway, where homes are close together. The destroyed house at 4740 Mentmoore Terrace Road was within approximately 20 feet of neighboring homes, two of which were damaged.

"The dog was barking, and I looked up, and the whole sky was lit up orange, like the sun." said Tina Foster, who lives immediately next door, at 4750 Mentmoore Terrace Road, and whose house showed heat damage with melted siding. "I thought our house was on fire. We struggled to put our clothes on and get out. I never seen anything burn so fast. It was like a nightmare."

"A person driving by knocked on the door," said her husband, Bernard. "That is what made the dog start barking. I screamed for my wife and my mom, and we came outside. I got the dog out but forgot about the bird. The guy (who knocked on the door) said he called 911; about 10 to 15 minutes later the firemen arrived."

The Fosters said about six firetrucks arrived on the scene.

"The fire was terrible," said Jennifer Thomas, the homeowner on the other side of the burned house. Her home also showed obvious damage with melted siding and exposed plywood. "There was a lot of damage to my house. When we got outside, the blaze was huge. It was like it was getting ready to explode. The police told us to just come out as we are and not put our shoes on."

She said they were outside three or four hours while firefighters extinguished the flames. "We just sat in the truck and waited with a blanket. The neighbors were nice and wanted to know if we needed anything."

Thomas said her son got all six residents of the house out safely, including her 6-month-old granddaughter and a niece who has cerebral palsy.

"He's a hero," she said of her son.

The earlier fire occurred around 10 p.m. Thursday at 2856 Tray Court and was still smoldering this morning while firefighters decided how to knock down the remaining building and finish extinguishing the blaze. Nearby homes were not damaged.

"The building pancaked in on itself," fire Lt. Mark Wardlaw said.

The home sits on a slight incline, and the building collapsed into the basement, making it difficult for for fighters to reach the fire safely.

Wardlaw said the flames shot through the roof and burned a tree high into its branches. Radiant heat significantly burned a car approximately 40 feet away in the driveway.

The Douglasville Roads Department was on the scene this morning, discussing with firefighters how to bring the walls of the structure safely down.