The community is stepping up to help its neighbors after a fire totally destroyed their home.
“The house was a total loss but thankfully no one was home so there were no injuries,” Putnam County Fire Chief Thomas McClain said. “But the couple did lose all their belongings, everything; and the Rockville Community has really rallied around them to help them out.”
Michael and Skylar Cox along with their teen daughter and 8-week-old son were at a church dinner Sunday afternoon when they got a notice that their house was on fire.
A passerby on Oconee Springs Road had noticed smoke coming out of their house and called 911.
“The person who called it in is actually a volunteer firefighter with the Rockville fire station, but of course, he didn’t have the (fire) truck or any equipment with him,” McClain said.
Although the fire trucks were on their way immediately, the location of the burning house on Oconee Springs near the Rockville Road intersection slowed response time because “it was a long way out there,” McClain said.
The wood-siding house was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived. McClain said they used a water shuttle to battle the blaze and the Eatonton Fire Department also brought its tanker truck.
“And a lot of firefighters came to help, which was important because it was a very hot day, so heat exhaustion was a constant concern,” McClain added, noting they were there four and a half hours making sure the fire was completely extinguished.
The fire originated in the area around the kitchen stove, McClain said. He said the Coxes had left for church that morning and stayed for a church dinner after the service.
Michael, a long-time painter at a body shop in Eatonton, and Skylar, who teaches first grade at Putnam County Primary School, said they were just thankful that they were all safe.
Noting that the couple had fire insurance on the house, McClain said he put the couple in touch with the Red Cross in case they needed help. He also noted that they have family in the area whom they are staying with, and the Rockville Community group and their church, Calvary Baptist Church, are taking donations or gift cards to help them.