DeKalb family escapes house fire

ELLENWOOD, Ga. — A family was forced from its home after it caught fire overnight in Ellenwood.

Firefighters worked to extinguish flames inside and outside the DeKalb County home along Kings Causeway early Friday morning for more than an hour.

The family initially could not find its dog, but was able to locate it several hours after the fire broke out.

Firefighters said they were called to the home around 3 a.m., and when they arrived, they found flames shooting out of the top floor.

"By the time I heard her car alarm go off, and the time I actually looked out the window, it wasn't that long, but the house was burning pretty good and the fire truck was already there when I looked out the window," neighbor Eugene Johnson said.

The family said everyone got out OK, including a wheelchair-bound woman.

Firefighters said the home is uninhabitable and the Red Cross is helping the family find a temporary place to stay.

Firefighters said they do not yet know the cause of the fire.

WSBTV