One Injured in Stephens County House Fire; Missing Resident Located Safe

STEPHENS COUNTY, Ga. – A residential structure fire in Stephens County on Wednesday morning left one person with severe burn injuries and prompted a multi-agency emergency response.

According to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, deputies, along with personnel from the Toccoa Fire Department and Stephens County Fire Services, were dispatched to a home on Rock Creek Road at approximately 6:23 a.m. after receiving reports of a structure fire.

When first responders arrived, they found the residence fully engulfed in flames. One occupant was rescued from the home suffering from severe burn injuries and was transported by Stephens County EMS to a nearby medical facility for treatment.

Authorities said several other residents of the property had left before the fire began.

The blaze led to the closure of Rock Creek Road between Van Mar Drive and Shady Lane for approximately two and a half hours as firefighters worked to extinguish the fire. Power to the surrounding area was also disconnected for about four hours while Hart EMC repaired damage near the residence.

During the response, officials learned that one resident remained unaccounted for and was believed to possibly still be inside the home. The Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office was notified and conducted an investigation at the scene. Officials later determined that no occupants were inside the residence at the time of the fire, though one dog was found to have been in the structure.

At approximately 1:30 p.m., deputies with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office located the previously unaccounted-for individual safe elsewhere in Stephens County.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office, which is serving as the lead investigative agency.

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Toccoa Fire Department, Stephens County Fire Services, Stephens County EMS, Hart EMC, the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office, Toccoa Natural Gas, the American Red Cross, Stephens County 911, and Stephens County Emergency Management for their assistance during the response.