A pair of house fires in South Hall County Sunday left a total of four people injured and three pets dead.
Hall County Fire Rescue Captain Tim Drake said the first fire happened in the Chestnut Mountain area at a home on Melinda Lane off of Pine Vale Road. He said crews were called to the scene at around 11:30 a.m.
"Units arrived on the scene to found a medium-sized house with heavy smoke showing," Drake said. "When they arrived, there were actually two people out and trying to get the third person out through a window."
Drake said six small dogs were able to escape the fire, but a release earlier in the day from fire officials said three pets ultimately died at the scene. The three people who escaped the fire were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment of minor injuries.
Later that same day, crews were called to another house fire, this one in Oakwood on Stephens Road. Drake said it was a small wooden structure and smoke was showing near the front door when crews arrived.
"There were several people trying to remove dogs from the structure when crews arrived," Drake said. "We removed about nine dogs. No casualties, but there were a couple of dogs with singe burns."
Drake said all the occupants of the home were able to escape, but one person was treated for minor injuries.
Both fires were put out, and while the causes are under investigation, Drake said windy conditions Sunday made fighting the blazes more difficult.
"They're unrelated as far as what contributed to the start of the fires," Drake said. "The wind had a lot to do with the advancement of the fire (on Melinda Lane), because it was a lot further advanced than the house in Oakwood."
No firefighters were injured in either incident.
