Family of 9 displaced by bomb-like explosions in Clayton County house fire

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - The American Red Cross says they assisted 19 people after a massive residential fire destroyed a home and a storage building on King George Way in Clayton County early Saturday morning.

What we know:

Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services were dispatched to the 6500 block of King George Way around 7:12 a.m. The first unit arrived within five minutes to find the house engulfed in heavy smoke and flames.

'It sounded like a bomb'

What they're saying:

The intensity of the fire was felt throughout the neighborhood. Henry Smalls, who lives nearby, said he heard propane tanks exploding as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
"It was real loud. It sounded like a bomb," Smalls said. "After I heard an explosion in the back of the house, the whole house just went up—went up into flames. And that's all I saw."

A difficult firefight

What they're saying:

Chief Tim Sweat said that nearly two dozen firefighters responded to the scene. Despite a quick arrival, the conditions made an interior attack nearly impossible.
"They pulled attack lines off the first arriving fire apparatus and tried to gain access into the residential home itself," Chief Sweat said. "However, heat and the extensive amount of flames quickly pushed them back out."

The chief said crews also had to contend with overhead power lines.

"Those are always a challenge for us to navigate to get that aerial in there, to get that large volume of water on the property in addition to the close proximity of the homes being beside one another," Sweat said.

Dig deeper:

Investigators believe the fire originated in or near a storage shed at the rear of the property.

"It appears on the initial investigation that it originated from somewhere in that area, then quickly spread throughout the construction debris that's in the backyard and then on to the actual residential home itself," Sweat noted.

Hours after the initial call, crews remained on the scene dousing hotspots. Because of the heavy "fire load" in the backyard—including construction debris and lumber—the Clayton County Transportation and Development Department provided a skid steer to help firefighters sift through the piles.

"They're having to sift through that now to ensure we get all the hotspots," Sweat said. "And then the investigators will actually get in and start trying to trace, hopefully determine where it originated and then how it spread."

While the storage shed and primary residence are a total loss, no civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. The displaced family of nine was seen speaking with the American Red Cross and plans to stay with relatives.

Local perspective:

The fire occurred the same morning Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services partnered with the Red Cross for a "Sound the Alarm" event. Volunteers spent the day in nearby Riverdale subdivisions installing free smoke alarms and providing safety education.

"Smoke alarms are one of the simplest and most effective tools we have to protect families from fire-related tragedies," said Chief Sweat.