3 people sent to hospital after house fire in Brooklet

BROOKLET, Ga. (WTOC) - A house fire in Bulloch County sent three people to the hospital.

It started around 9:30 Sunday morning at a home on Precious Circle in Brooklet.

Fire crews say they got there within five minutes of the 911 call, but the home was already burning.

“Brooklet PD actually saw the smoke and went to investigate and luckily he was at the right place at the right time,” Bulloch County Fire Chief Chris Ivey said.

Chief Ivey says people need to take precautions when it comes to heating older wood-frame homes.

Family members said the house could be close to 100 years old. That means it’s mostly heart pine inside and that burns quickly.

He says that makes heating very dangerous, even with a brick chimney like one here.

“You need to get the chimneys cleaned at least once a year before you ever think about starting a fire,” Chief Ivey said.

All three burn victims - Jesse Thomas, Dexter Bennett, and Steven Clark - were flown to the burn unit at Doctors Hospital in Augusta. An investigator from the state fire marshal’s office is expected Tuesday for a routine investigation.

Chief Ivey says they’re glad to make a house call and find potential dangers rather than showing up in an emergency.

Copyright 2020 WTOC. All rights reserved.