BARROW FIRE & EMS NEWS RELEASE:
“Just before 2:30 this morning, firefighters with Barrow County responded to a reported structure fire, with reports of people still inside the home in the 100 block of Matthew School Road. “As we arrived on the scene we found a home heavily involved in fire and the family advised that there was still one person in the home” stated Public Information Officer Scott Dakin. “Our firefighters made a rapid entry through a bedroom window where the person was reported to be. During the vent, enter, isolate, search mode a subject was found still in one of the beds located in the room.”
As additional crews arrived, an aggressive interior attack was initiated to assist in the rescue. The firefighters performed a rescue and were able to pull the patient out the bedroom window, and initiate immediate patient care. EMS crews also performed care on this patient and two others. “This was a very rapid search and rescue under heavy fire conditions,” stated Captain Dakin. “The firefighters worked fast and hard while managing many different operations at one time.
The home was heavily damaged as a result of the fire. Two adults from the home were transported to area hospitals. The 8 year old child that was pulled from the home died as a result of the injuries. “Unfortunately, despite heroic efforts by the firefighters the child passed away as a result of injuries from the fire,” commented Deputy Chief Brett Skinner. “I am very proud of the fact that they put their lives at risk in an attempt to give the child the best chance at surviving. My thoughts and prayers will be with the family that suffered such a great loss, and the firefighters who were on the scene.”