Clayton County home burns while family away

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A family of five was headed out of town Thursday evening when a call from a neighbor sent them back to Clayton County. The family arrived to find the last of the flames being extinguished. The family's two-story, brick home in Rex is a total loss.

A neighbor, Courtney Ware, said a family member who stepped outside around 6:30 p.m. noticed flames coming from the garage of the home next door. Ware said she called 9-1-1, and her father called the owners of the home on fire. Another family member called other neighbors on Elizabeth Terrace.

Then, the Ware family and their Thanksgiving guests went outside, where they watched as flames quickly engulfed the home.

"When our first units arrived, there were flames on half of the house," said Chief Landry Merkison of the Clayton County fire department.

The fire was extinguished in about 45 minutes, Merkison said. Crews were still on site late Thursday evening for any potential hot spots. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, Merkison said.

Ware said the family, which includes three young children, arrived home about two hours after the fire broke out.

"They were pretty calm," Ware said. "They had time to process it during their drive back home."

The family stayed with relatives Thursday night, Ware said.