ALTO — State fire investigators believe the weekend fire that destroyed a Hall County deputy sheriff's home near Alto may have been propane gas-related.
The home, located at 2455 Gainesville Highway, Alto, caught fire Saturday afternoon and kept firefighters from Habersham County, Baldwin and Lee Arrendale State Prison busy for hours.
While they are waiting on propane company officials to visit the scene, state investigators say they cannot rule out a propane incident with the gas logs or line, according to the state fire marshal's office on Monday, noting the owner was lighting gas logs in the home at the time of the fire.
The Hall County Sheriff's Office took to social media Monday night asking for help for one of its own.
"Over the weekend, a deputy from our Court Services Division lost all of his family’s belongings in a fire at their residence," the Facebook post reads. "The fire began after his attempts to keep their home warm on the coldest weekend of the winter season. To make matters worse, the family (him, his wife and their fur baby) had just moved into the residence only days before the fire. This was their 'dream home'; it was to be their first and forever home."
The deputy and his family escaped unharmed, with only the clothing on their backs.
Anyone who would like to help the deputy and his family may contact Capt. Chris Matthews in the Hall County Sheriff's Office Court Services Division at (770) 531-7095.
