JONES COUNTY, Ga. — Three people in Jones County were displaced after a raging fire destroyed their home in the early hours of Thanksgiving morning, according to Jones County Fire Chief Thomas Coleman.
"It was a total loss for the house," Coleman said. "The majority, 90% of it, was a total loss."
Coleman says crews were dispatched at around 1 a.m. to 107 Gateway Court, which is near Ruby Drive and Buthune Avenue. When crews arrived, the house was completely engulfed in flames.
"It was fully involved," Coleman said. "There was too much fire for them to enter."
That's when the firefight became a defensive operation, Coleman said, with the fire inching too close to the home on the right side of the house. They say the fire was starting to light that home on fire.
But after managing to stop the spread, fire crews started getting the fire inside the original house under control, Coleman said.
After four hours, the fire was extinguished and the last crew left the scene at around 5 a.m., Coleman said.
He says that they believe the fire may have started in the garage, which causes them to suspect it may have been an electrical fire.
Witnesses on the scene told 13WMAZ that they heard what sounded like an explosion.
However, the official cause of the fire is still under investigation.
In the aftermath of the fire, three people are without a home on Thanksgiving.
Coleman says the Red Cross was notified to help get the residents back on their feet.
He says the residents, a couple and one person who lived in their basement, will likely spend the Thanksgiving holiday in a hotel.
Coleman offered this advice to homeowners: have working smoke detectors, and if a fire breaks out in your home, close doors on your way out. That helps slow the spread of the fire and helps minimize damage.