Firefighters rescue man trapped on porch of burning house

Firefighters extinguish a two-story house fire early Sunday, April 21, 2024. The resident was trapped on his porch by the flames. (Habersham County Emergency Services)

Quick action by local firefighters led to the safe rescue of a Habersham County man early Sunday. The resident called E-911 just before 5 a.m. on April 21 to report that his house was on fire and he was trapped on the porch.

“The caller stated his house was on fire and that he was stuck on the porch and couldn’t get off due to it being a 30-foot drop,” says county spokesperson Rob Moore.

Habersham County Emergency Services responded to the residence at 304 Skyview Circle in the western part of the county. On their way, they requested mutual aid from White County Fire Services due to the nature of the call and limited access to water in the area.

When units arrived, they found the two-story house roughly 75% engulfed in fire.

As one crew started battling the blaze, another set out to rescue the trapped resident. They used a ground ladder to get him off the porch.

“He was taken to the waiting med unit for evaluation and later refused any further care due to not being injured,” says Moore.

Firefighters used approximately 13,000 gallons of water to extinguish the blaze. They remained on the scene until 10 a.m. Sunday.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.