A fire that destroyed a Clayton County home early Tuesday was deliberately set, authorities said, and a man who lived in the home named his son as the culprit.
When firefighters arrived at the home in the 6100 block of Old Dixie Road, two occupants had already gotten out and told fire crews that the blaze woke them up, Clayton fire Batt. Chief Jacque Feilke told the AJC.
Those residents also told firefighters that “they thought that another family member was still inside the home,” Feilke said.
Feilke said that firefighters had completed three searches of the home but had found no one inside as of 6:30 a.m.
"We have part of the roof that has collapsed, and we have unstable flooring, so it’s making it difficult for firefighters to get to certain areas of the house," she said. "We’re going to do another thorough search as soon as they can get in there and make sure that it’s safe."
One firefighter was transported to a local hospital.
"Something fell from the ceiling and hit him on the head," Feilke said. "He did have his helmet on, but just as a precaution, we went ahead and sent him to the hospital just to get checked out."
She said that the residents initially left the scene once firefighters arrived, but had returned and were being questioned by investigators.
“We do believe that it will be arson,” Feilke said.
Leroy Forts Sr. had lived in the rental house with his wife and adult son for nine years.
Forts told the AJC Tuesday morning that he believes his son set the fire.
“We got to arguing and he got mad,” Forts said. “When he got mad at me, he said, ‘it’s going to end tonight.’ What he meant by that, I don’t know if he was talking about hurting me or setting the house on fire, but he did what he wanted to do.”
Forts said his 41-year-old son, Leroy Forts Jr., has a “bad drug problem.”
“He really needs help,” the elder Forts said. “I wish they would lock him up and get him help. I still love my son; I just wish he would get some help.”
Forts said he didn’t know where he and his wife, Delores, would go after losing “everything we have” in the fire, including his wife’s medication.
“All her pills are in there, that’s what I’m concerned about,” Forts said. “She had a stroke a couple of years ago and she takes 14 pills a day.”
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