Flames can be seen shooting through the roof of a house on Mack Eller Road near Clarkesville. The fire broke out late Sunday and destroyed the house and everything in it. (photo from HCES)
Investigators are still trying to determine what caused a late-night fire that destroyed a home in Habersham County.
At 10:36 p.m. Sunday (November 10), a caller to Habersham County 911 reported structure fire at 122 Mack Eller Road. When firefighters arrived eleven minutes, flames had fully engulfed the single-wide modular home.
The residents, Dewayne Brooks and his girlfriend Ashley Gould, escaped the burning house with their dog.
“I got her out of the house, and I made it through the house to get my keys in the living room,” Brooks tells Now Habersham. “The fire was coming out from under the underpinning [of the home], then came out and went up the side of it.”
The couple was renting the home from a friend. Brooks says they were fixing it up, preparing for the birth of their daughter, who is due on January 8. He managed to save their truck and the baby car seat inside of it but, other than that, Brooks says, “We don’t have anything. The only thing we have is the clothes we were wearing when we got out of the house.”
The house was so far gone by the time firefighters arrived that all they could do was contain it. They shuttled in water to extinguish the flames and cooled down a nearby propane tank to keep it from exploding.
HCES Engines 9, 17, and Tanker 13, the Lee Arrendale Fire Brigade, Battalion 1, and Captain 1 responded. Units remained on the scene for several hours.
No one was injured, but Gould did start having contractions. She went to Habersham Medical Center so doctors could evaluate her condition. Monday afternoon, she was still there. Brooks says they’re hoping to avoid early labor but adds, “as far as her and the baby, she’s fine.”
The couple did not have homeowners or property insurance. The Red Cross was called in to assist them.
How you can help
A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help the family.
You may also help by donating baby items, household goods, and clothes in the following sizes: Preemie/newborn girls outfits, maternity shirts and dresses, women’s large shirts and size 12 pants, men’s 32-34 jeans and large shirts. Women’s shoes size 6.5 and men’s shoes sized 10-10.5.
Donated items may be dropped off at Habersham County Fire Station 9 in Hollywood. Please call the station before you go to make sure someone is there to receive your donation. The fire station number is (706) 754-2822.
