A woman who dialed 911 early-Wednesday reporting someone was kicking in her back door didn’t expect the 911 operator to tell her that her house was on fire.
Around 3:00am, a woman was at home with her 8 year-old son and 4 dogs when she heard what sounded like an explosion. She retrieved a gun just to be safe then seconds later heard the sounds of someone attempting to force open her back door. The Cobblestone Subdivision resident called 911 to report an intruder but was told by the dispatcher there was no intruder rather her house was on fire and to get out immediately.
It turned out to be the next door neighbor who was trying gain access to the burning home to save the lives of the mother and son who were still inside.
A Clayton police officer was nearby and helped the neighbor rescue the family and pets.
Clayton, Cleveland, Archer Lodge and Wilson’s Mills fire crews responded to the scene and quickly contained the blaze.
Officials have not determined what caused the fire and the “explosion” sound. Fire investigators are looking into whether a vehicle parked in the driveway may have been the origin or possibly an outside electrical outlet.
The family had just purchased the home 6 months ago. The husband, who was not at home when the fire broke out, said he lost his home when he was 15 years-old and felt like he was reliving the experience all over again.
The family was very grateful to the emergency workers and neighbors. Although they lost nearly all their possessions they were not injured. Firemen were able to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent homes in the subdivision. Photos by John Payne
