Dad set fire in bedroom closet while his family was home, Georgia fire officials say
A man accused of setting fire to a bedroom closet while his wife and kids were inside their Atlanta-area home is facing criminal charges, Georgia fire officials say.
Crews were alerted to a house fire in Lawrenceville on Saturday, Nov. 20, when a 911 caller told dispatchers that her husband had locked himself in a bedroom and set something on fire, according to a news release.
She got her kids and mother-in-law out of the home safely, fire officials said, but believed her husband was still holed up in the bedroom.
Firefighters arrived to find light smoke coming from the home, the release states. They made a beeline for the upstairs bedroom where they encountered heavy smoke but still no visible fire. Conditions “quickly deteriorated,” however, and two firefighters called out “mayday” to let the others know they were in trouble.
The firefighters were successfully found and led from the house, officials said. Both were taken to a hospital and treated for burns.
An investigator tasked with determining what caused the fire said the male resident, whose wife thought he was still upstairs, had made it out of the home before crews arrived. He told fire officials he set the fire “but claimed it was by accident,” according to the release.
The man, whom authorities didn’t name, was arrested and charged with felony arson and domestic violence.
The conditions of the injured firefighters are unknown as of Monday, Nov. 22, but officials said they’re recuperating with family members.
Lawrenceville is about 32 miles northeast of Atlanta.
This story was originally published November 22, 2021 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Dad set fire in bedroom closet while his family was home, Georgia fire officials say."