Local

Police officers pull 7-year-old from raging house fire

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A Gainesville mother said two police officers are her son's guardian angels after they pulled him from a fire.

The officers pulled the 7-year-old boy from a raging house fire. Nine people were inside the home, including three children.

Roxanne Kelly said her son is in a lot of pain from the burns, and is sleeping a lot in the ICU. She said she was at work when the fire broke out.

"I do not know what to do to thank them. I don't know what I can ever do to thank them," Kelly said.

Gainesville police officers, Drew Reed and Steve Folkers said it was just luck they came across the fire. They were driving by the home on Banks Street when they saw smoke and heard screams early Saturday morning.

"I started looking around at other people – 'we are missing one, he is in his room, could you help us get him out?'" Reed said.

Reed and Folkers quickly sprang into action to find the little boy.

"We kept shining our light, flashing our light, saying 'come to the light. Come to the light.' And that's when we started seeing stuff fall from the ceiling and just as soon as that happened is when we could see the outline of the child," Reed said.

They were able to pull Jeremiah Williams through the window.

"I carried him out to the street. He would not let go of me," Folkers said.

Eight others were inside the home, including the child's grandmother who was also taken to the hospital.

"It was very scary because I was getting sick. I was worried about all my grandkids," the grandmother said.

"The whole side of his face is burned on the right side, across the forehead," Kelly said.

Jeremiah's mother said she still has her only son, and for that she is forever grateful to these two officers.

"I don't know how or why, but you guys are our guardian angels and you are always there for us, thank you so much," Kelly said.

Fire investigators believe a space heater caused the fire.