DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. — Officials say improperly disposed fireworks tossed in a trash can caused a blaze that destroyed three homes and damaged there others in Dawson County early Thursday morning.
The official cause of the blaze has been ruled accidental, fire officials say.
Dawson County authorities were called to the scene of the fire on Burt's Crossing around 12:15 a.m. Thursday. By the time firefighters arrived five minutes later, three homes were "well-involved in fire," Dawson fire Chief Danny Thompson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Three families, 11 people in total, have been left without homes after the blaze.
Channel 2 Action News' Christian Jennings was on the scene Thursday, where the Red Cross and neighbors were working to help the families displaced by the fire.
Mike Wolski, who lost his home in the fire, told Jennings he has been overwhelmed by the support that people in the community have shown him and his family.
"I love it. I just want to say thank you and we could use your prayers," Wolski said. "Thank you."
The family Bible was one of the only things Wolski was able to salvage from his home.
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He just feels blessed he and his neighbors, wife and two children were able to make it out safely.
Fire officials say the fire started in Wolski's home from fireworks that hadn't been put out correctly. Wolski says he was sure to douse them before he and his family went back inside.
"They were in a trash can but they were completely doused, they were almost flooded with water," Wolski said. "My neighbors saw us watering them down before we finished up so I don’t know if that was the cause."
One of the three homes destroyed belongs to a Forsyth County deputy. Fellow officers were on scene to support him and his family. The third destroyed home belonged to a family who was new to the neighborhood.
Three nearby homes sustained heat damage, but Thompson said they are still livable.
Another neighbor told Jennings the siding on her home melted from the heat.
Fire officials told Jennings they recommend using several buckets of water to submerge used fireworks, then wrapping them in a plastic bag so they won't dry out.
Cox Media Group
