Clayton firefighters rescued a disabled man from a burning home around midnight Monday. He and his adult son are at UNC Burn Center in Chapel Hill today and are expected to recover from injuries related to smoke inhalation. Neither victim was burned by flames.
The father and son were asleep inside their home at 1169 Grovewood Drive off Barber Mill Road when the fire was sparked in the living room of their one-story home.
The son called 911, telling dispatchers the house was full of smoke and his disabled father was trapped inside.
Clayton Fire arrived and the son was outside flagging down the fire trucks. He said he tried to get his father out but couldn’t.
Five firefighters started to search the house, which by this time had smoke filling the rooms and hallways from the ceiling to the floor. They searched each room until they found the man in his bedroom, unable to walk or speak. The firefighters carried him out to a waiting stretcher and the Johnston County EMS crews.
The Clayton Fire Marshall believes the fire started in the front living room of the house under a bookcase near some electronics but a final determination is still being made by insurance and fire investigators.
“We want to say a special thank you to the Johnston County 911 dispatchers who worked to get detailed information on where the victim might be to rescuers,” Town of Clayton spokesperson Stacy Beard said in an email. “Also thanks to Johnston County EMS and Cleveland Fire Department for their aid in this response.”
The house is unlivable and the father, son and mother who was not home at the time will need to find a temporary place to live while repairs are made. Town of Clayton photos
