MT. AIRY, Ga. — Firefighters responded to an early morning residential fire on Harris Street in Mt. Airy that heavily damaged a home and left the occupants displaced in subfreezing temperatures.
Habersham County Emergency Services responded to the residential structure fire at approximately 3:58 a.m. at 237 Harris Street, according to Habersham County Public Information Officer Ashlyn Brady.
A nearby resident, Katie Stover, said she first noticed something was wrong while getting ready for work.
“I wake up every morning to go to work, and just like routine, I go into my bathroom, and I was thinking our neighbors got a new outside light because it was really bright,” Stover said. “I pulled back the curtain and saw the house in flames.”
Stover said she immediately called 911 before taking photos of the fire.
“I scattered looking for my phone and dialed 911,” she said. “The fire was so hot the window in my bathroom was hot to the touch. I could see the roof, what seemed like it was just melting off.”
When crews arrived, they found the approximately 1,000-square-foot, single-story residence 80 to 90 percent involved in fire. Due to intense fire conditions and a roof collapse believed to have occurred before emergency personnel arrived, firefighters launched a defensive attack from the outside, Brady said.
Stover said she later saw one of the residents return to the scene.
“One of the ladies that lives there pulled up,” she said. “My husband heard her scream, but that’s about all I know as far as the people that live there.”
Firefighters made their way inside the home and continued battling the blaze while searching for occupants. They confirmed no one was inside the house and everyone was safely accounted for, Brady said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze and began overhaul operations. Crews remained on scene through the morning hours, putting out hot spots to prevent the fire from reigniting.
The Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the scene and has taken over the investigation. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
