STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — Fire investigators are trying to figure out how a townhome caught fire Tuesday morning. A total of four townhomes ended up with fire damage.
The cause is under investigation, but some neighbors say a threat was made before the fire happened.
Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes was in DeKalb County at the Village Main Street Townhomes where she spoke with a witness.
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The fire woke up the entire neighborhood on Tuesday just before 5:00 a.m.
Fire investigators are still working on the cause but neighbors believe it was arson.
“It was about 5 a.m. and we were half asleep and we heard somebody screaming and yelling,” witness Rebecca Stevens said.
The fire terrified Stevens.
It started at one of the townhomes in Stone Mountain and quickly spread to three more.
“Next thing you know, we looked out the window and there was smoke and fire going on and we ran out of the house. We were scared that it would jump over here,” Stevens explained.
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Fire investigators said everyone made it out.
Fernandes spoke to two witnesses who said someone started the fire on purpose.
When Fernandes asked Stevens did she believed it was arson, she answered, “I do, because I heard somebody say I hope you got insurance on your house because we’re burning it down.”
There’s no confirmation of arson, but while fire officials investigate those allegations, some neighbors hope police will look into it as well.
“It’s been beautiful back here, but the last couple of years there’s been bad people doing awful things,” Stevens said.
Fire investigators told Fernandes they heard the same allegations from witnesses and they’re actively investigating it.
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