Families had to rush out of a burning apartment early Tuesday morning in Clarkston after lightning caused a fast-spreading fire.
There were 17 people inside the Avalon on Montreal apartment building, including children, when a bolt of lightning struck a tree and then jumped to the roof and set two upstairs units on fire.
Residents ran out of their apartments and saw the roof on fire.
“We could see the tree above the building where it first struck and it ran down the tree and got on to the roof of the building,” said DeKalb County Asst. Fire Chief Jeff Crump.
Resident Sadia Hassan noticed flames coming from her brother's room, so she ran out and went downstairs to check on her parents.
“I told my parents, 'There's a fire and it's upstairs and we need to get out,'” Hassan said.
Right before the fire department showed up, Hassan said her mother started screaming for everyone to get out.
“My mother started banging on doors trying to get everyone out because there are a lot of kids who live in this building,” Hassan said.
The assistant chief said the fire destroyed two apartments and two others sustained water damage.
The four families who lived there made it out safely and some were able to salvage a few clothes.
Cox Media Group
