Eugene Lambert had left his residence in the 8300 block of South Coastal Highway to visit a friend in Hinesville at about 6 p.m. Friday
When he arrived at his destination, Lambert received a call his home which had been in the family for decades, was on fire.
When Lambert arrived, all he could do was watch from the side of the road as firefighters doused the inside of the residence with water to extinguish hot spots.
“I’ve lost everything,” Lambert said. “Before I left I made sure everything was off in the house. This is just terrible.”
A neighbor told Lambert the fire may have started from an air conditioning unit in the rear of the home, though the origin of the fire has not been established by investigators. The neighbor told Lambert he had seen smoke and flames coming from the unit when he went to investigate.
Riceboro Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Dennis Fitzgerald said when he arrived at about 6:30 p.m., heavy smoke and flames could be seen coming from the cinder block home.
“We had to call for backup from the Eastern District and Midway,” he said.
Fitzgerald said it took more than an hour to bring the flames under control. Firefighters also had to battle the high temperatures inside and outside the home.
“We had to pull the firefighters out because of the high temperatures to ensure no one was injured,” Fitzgerald said.
The fire remains under investigation.
When he arrived at his destination, Lambert received a call his home which had been in the family for decades, was on fire.
When Lambert arrived, all he could do was watch from the side of the road as firefighters doused the inside of the residence with water to extinguish hot spots.
“I’ve lost everything,” Lambert said. “Before I left I made sure everything was off in the house. This is just terrible.”
A neighbor told Lambert the fire may have started from an air conditioning unit in the rear of the home, though the origin of the fire has not been established by investigators. The neighbor told Lambert he had seen smoke and flames coming from the unit when he went to investigate.
Riceboro Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Dennis Fitzgerald said when he arrived at about 6:30 p.m., heavy smoke and flames could be seen coming from the cinder block home.
“We had to call for backup from the Eastern District and Midway,” he said.
Fitzgerald said it took more than an hour to bring the flames under control. Firefighters also had to battle the high temperatures inside and outside the home.
“We had to pull the firefighters out because of the high temperatures to ensure no one was injured,” Fitzgerald said.
The fire remains under investigation.