DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A man arrived home from work Thursday evening to find his rented townhome in Lithonia gutted by fire. Two adjacent townhomes also suffered fire damage.
“From my window, I saw some smoke, came out to see what was going on, white smoke coming from down the block. When we got down here, we saw houses on fire, so we started banging on doors to make sure everyone was safe,” said neighbor Chekier Barthley.
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The fire began on the second floor of a home on Shadow Lakes Drive just before noon. Porch camera video shows towering flames shooting from the roof of the townhome. The flames scorched the siding and roofs of two adjacent homes.
“We can attribute a lot of that spread to the wind, very windy day today. With the dry conditions as well, that did not help either,” said DeKalb Fire and Rescue Capt. Jaeson Daniels.
Many neighbors expressed sympathy and concern for the man whose townhome burned as he was at work. He told Channel 2 Action News he recently moved in and was renting the place.
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He said his landlord never called to tell him about the fire. He says he lost most everything he owns and does not have renter’s insurance.
“I can’t imagine doing a full day of work, and coming home to find out your entire house is gone. It is rough. We are praying for him,” said Barthley.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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