MACON, Ga. — A family in Crawford County is mourning the loss of their mother and brother.
Around 5 a.m. on Monday, Crawford County Volunteer Firefighters were called to a home on Highway 42 in Musella, which is about a mile away from Dickey Farms.
Crawford County Fire Chief Randall Pate says about 12 volunteers came to extinguish the fire. Larry Jordan, the youngest brother says when he got the call, it didn't feel real.
"I haven't woke up from a nightmare I was having. A bad dream I was having," Jordan said.
In their family, there were six siblings. Now, they're five.
Family photos they once had have now burned away in the home.
Growing up, his mom was their superhero, Jordan said.
"She was a mom's mom and she made sure we didn't do without," he said.
Their father passed a few years ago from cancer, Jordan said. The loss of their father, their mother and their brother within the span of a few years just adds to their grief.
Pate says it was all hands on deck to fight the fire.
"[It] took roughly about an hour, and [we] start searching for the victims," Pate said.
That's when they found Ruthnell and Dennis.
Dennis was staying with their mom to make sure she was ok, Jordan said.
"We always wanted to make sure that mom was not alone but he was there, he was there," Jordan said. "He didn't leave her sight."
Pate says he doesn't know how the fire started, and they have asked the State Fire Marshal to investigate. But while they don't know the cause of the fire, he still warns homeowners about overheating generators.
"People, you know, they think about themselves getting hot and wanting to cool down but understand that there's also equipment," Pate said. "Air conditioners are running hotter, you know, and it's just more cause for error."
Jordan and the rest of their family say it's going to take time to process what happened.
"She was my mom, the best mom," Jordan said. "The best mom that I could've ever asked for."