UPDATE: Fire destroys Eatonton home; community helps family at Christmas
Dec. 28—EATONTON, Ga. — Fire destroyed the double-wide mobile home of a family of 10 people, including six children last Wednesday morning in Eatonton, authorities say.
The family lost everything they owned just three days before Christmas.
Although no one was injured, the same could not be said of their pet dogs and cats. All four of them perished.
The family escaped the fire after one of the pets awakened someone in the home by barking shortly before 4 a.m., Eatonton Fire Chief Eugene Hubert told The Union-Recorder. After the man got up from bed, he opened the back door of the residence and raging flames tried to enter inside, forcing him to shut the door.
The man then went to each of the bedrooms in the dwelling where he awakened everyone and led them safely outside. All 10 people then got into a truck to stay warm from the below-freezing temperatures until firefighters could respond to the 4:01 a.m. 911 call.
Fifteen firefighters from the Eatonton Fire Department, as well as Putnam County Fire Rescue, battled intense flames for more than a half-hour before bringing it under control.
Hubert said when he arrived on the scene he saw the rear of the house engulfed in flames and a rear corner portion near the porch had already collapsed.
It was later determined by Georgia State Fire Investigator Mickey Hunt that the fire started at a refrigerator that was plugged into an electrical cord on the back porch.
"I thank God no one was injured as a result of this fire, and I hate that this family lost their fur babies," Hubert said.
Hubert said he felt the need to help the family in whatever way he could, so he called on community friends to help raise money so the family could have some of the things they needed by Christmas, including clothes, shoes, and other essential items, as well as groceries.
"We all pitched in and did what we could for this family because we wanted to show them that we all care about them as a community," Hubert said.
The monetary donation drive was called "Fireman's Santa," the same name as given to the annual toy drive that is sponsored by the Eatonton Fire Department.
The family was given the money collected from those in the community during a special presentation at the Eatonton Fire Department on Friday afternoon. They then went to the Walmart store in Eatonton where they posed for a group photograph before going inside the store to purchase what they needed.
"We divided all the money up between the 10 of them," Hubert said. "We wanted to help this family in this way because they lost everything they own in the fire. By doing this, we felt it might help take some of the burden off them here at Christmas since this tragedy happened at such a terrible time."
Hubert said it was a blessing to live in a community that always comes together to help others in time of need.
"I really appreciate how quickly the community came together to help this family," Hubert said. "It makes all of us, who are firemen feel good, as well as the officers with the Eatonton Police Department feel good, even the people who help make this all come about. This is a loving and caring community and I'm glad I live and work here."
