LULA - A house in Lula was destroyed by fire early Thursday morning, and it appears the blaze started in the chimney.<br />
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Hall County Fire Marshal Scott Cagle said crews were called to the home on Neverson Court in the River Mist subdivision off Old Cornelia Highway around 4:45 a.m.<br />
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"Thankfully, the family of three - a young couple and a small baby - were able to exit the structure without any injury," said Cagle.<br />
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Cagle said the family was asleep, but they were awakened by a smoke alarm. He said the residents said they did not see any fire in the house itself when they left the home, but once they got outside they saw fire on the porch.<br />
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"This does point to a chimney fire right now," said Cagle.<br />
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The frigid weather was a challenge for firefighters, according to Cagle. He said temperatures hovered between 9 and 11 degrees while crews were on the scene.<br />
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"This was in a cul-de-sac and we pretty much made that cul-de-sac an ice rink because of the overflow of our water and the mist of the hose lines," said Cagle. <br />
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A couple of firefighters did slip and fall on the ice, but they were not seriously hurt.<br />
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"It may have been miserable for us, but our hearts and thoughts are with this young couple that just lost everything they had," said Cagle.<br />
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