December 11, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
A man barely escaped from his home during a fire early this morning (Friday).
Central dispatch (911) received a call at 2:24 a.m. of a fire at the home of Jimmy Evans located at the intersection of R. Arnold Road and New Bildad Road.
Evans was asleep on the couch and awoke to find his house on fire. He had to dart past the flames to escape and while Evans suffered no burns, the heat singed his hair on the way out the door. He was taken by DeKalb EMS to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital where he was treated and released.
According to DeKalb Fire Chief Donny Green, Evans said he had been smoking prior to the fire and thought he had tossed the cigarette butt in a bathroom toilet before going to sleep on the couch. Instead, Evans now believes the cigarette missed the toilet and landed in a trash can causing the fire to start from there.
Members of the Belk, Keltonburg, Short Mountain Highway, and Main Stations of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded along with the Sheriff’s Department and EMS.
Evans’ home was destroyed along with a car and other belongings.