Update: Resident will not face charges
A fire broke out in the closet of a bedroom at the Friendship Personal Care Home early Tuesday morning
/ Colby Gallagher
ALBANY, GA --
Fire officials are saying the man they believe set the fire Tuesday at Friendship Personal Care Home will not face charges, even though the circumstances surrounding the fire were unusual.
“The gentleman said that he took a lighter and went into the closet looking for something but there were lights located inside the room, so there was no reason for that,” says Arson Investigator Sam Harris.
The Albany Police Department is investigating the cause of a fire that happened early Tuesday morning at the Friendship Personal Care Home.
Firefighters responded to the home at 723 West Oglethorpe Boulevard shortly before 6:30 a.m. to find thick smoke coming out of the building.
Officials say the fire began in the closet of a resident's room but the sprinkler system contained it and no one was hurt.
"We're fortunate the on-staff personnel had done everything proper. They got everybody out immediately, they were outside the building when we arrived on the scene," said Assistant Chief, Allen Cravey.
The eight residents are currently staying in another facility and investigators are determining whether or not the resident whose room it began in meant to start the fire before leaving the home.
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