DUNWOODY, Ga. — Three children escaped a home in Dunwoody after a fire started in the chimney.
Neighbor Erica Harris told Channel 2 Action News she watched in horror as part of her neighbors' home on Leisure Drive fell to the ground.
Flames ripped through the roof and smoke darkened the sky. Harris spoke with the father who lives there Wednesday afternoon.
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"He just said that he heard some loud banging and then it was an explosion," Harris said.
DeKalb County Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Eric Jackson said the family got out just in time. Jackson said vintage vehicles and car materials fueled the fire. Firefighters battled it from inside and out.
"it was a very hot and intense fire," Jackson said.
So intense, crews fought it for almost five hours, until some were sent to a new, weather-related fire nearby on Sumac Drive in Dunwoody.
"We've had a very busy day today," said Batallion Chief Zina Gresham.
Gresham said a family of five, including two kids, escaped when their chimney caught fire, but there home also sustained water damage and some smoke damage.
This time of year, weather-related fires are more common. Jackson said check your smoke detectors, fire extinguisher, and insurance policy to make sure they're all adequate.
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