5 people, 3 dogs rescued after tree falls on DeKalb homes

Five people had to be rescued from two different DeKalb County homes after a massive tree came down on both of them, officials said.

The tree fell on two homes on Drexel Avenue, Decatur Deputy fire Chief Vera Morrison said. Fire officials arrived on the scene after getting a call about 3 a.m., she said.

Two dogs and four people, including a teenage boy, were inside one of the homes, officials said. The teen, who was sleeping when the tree fell, was trapped in a bedroom.

“(Crews) were able to ascertain some of the situation with the home, and as they got closer, they heard people talking to them from the windows saying they couldn’t get out,” Morrison said.

Credit: JOHN SPINK/ JSPINK@AJC.COM

Credit: JOHN SPINK/ JSPINK@AJC.COM

The tree blocked the door, barring anyone from being able to leave, officials said. Fire crews maneuvered under the tree and helped three people get out of the home through a side door, according to Morrison.

Two firefighters went upstairs to see about the teen boy.

“The room door was barricaded by the tree and some of the debris that fell from the home,” Morrison said. “(A firefighter) was able to kick the door in and get inside.”

The teen was still lying in his bed, “covered to his neck” with debris from the tree and from the house, Morrison said.

Credit: JOHN SPINK/ JSPINK@AJC.COM

Credit: JOHN SPINK/ JSPINK@AJC.COM

“It was just seconds that they had to work with, because the bed was leaning out of the window,” she said.

The fallen tree also trapped a woman and a dog who were in the house next door, Channel 2 Action News reported. They were both rescued by Decatur fire officials.

No one was injured in the operation. One of the homes is no longer livable due to the damage the tree caused.

The tree brought down power lines in the area, leaving more then two dozen people without power, officials said.