A flurry of fires over the last 36 hours have kept Albany firefighters scrambling all over town. Fire department officials say while some fires can’t be helped, others are very preventable.
Luckily, no one has been seriously injured in any of the recent fires. But officials are concerned that the streak could be just that – luck.
Albany firefighters began their Friday on the south side of town. "Soon after eight o’clock, right at shift change, we responded to 1114 South Van Buren to a reported structure fire," said Capt. Tony Denvy of the Albany Fire Dept.
Neighbor Tamra Gillan smelled smoke and called 911. "When I went out my back door, I seen the flames coming from the back of the house, the smoke coming from the back of the house, and I seen a dude trying to put the fire out," said Gillan.
The home has apparently been empty for two or three months. Investigators say the blaze was started intentionally by lighting a pile of clothes on fire in the kitchen.
The department’s next stop was about an hour later at this home on Adams Street where a fire started in a child’s bedroom.
Friday’s blazes came on the heels of two Thursday fires, including one on South Madison that destroyed a mobile home and sent an elderly man to the hospital. The homeowner apparently left something cooking on the stove.
Fire department officials tell us that fires like this one are likely to continue into and through the summer and that many of them can be prevented that a large number of fires are preventable.
"Just carelessness," said Denvy. "Do not leave the kitchen for any reason. Be sure you stand there and maintain a visual."
Southwest Georgia’s volatile spring and summer weather is another concern, especially where power outages are concerned. "Be sure if you use candles, use them safely," said Denvy. "If the power goes out, make sure you cut your stove off."
If a fire does start, it’s recommended that you have two escape routes out of your home in case one is blocked.
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