A local family was left homeless last week after a Fourth of July blaze tore through their house. Fire crews worked well into the evening to contain the blaze.

According to Alexandria Fire Chief John Partridge, “Alexandria Fire was called to a structure fire the night of July 4th around 10:00 pm at the home of Edward Hooper at 650 East Main Street, Alexandria. Responders arrived on the scene to find the home heavily involved with a partial roof collapse.”

“The homeowner and all occupants made it out safely after they heard popping they believed to be fireworks, but instead discovered a large amount of fire in the garage area of the home. The fire quickly moved to the remaining portions of the home, which forced firefighters to attack it from the outside due to extreme heat and the danger of collapse.”

The DeKalb County Fire Department was also dispatched to the scene, along with the DeKalb County Fire Department’s Rehab Team, Alexandria Police, and DeKalb EMS. Fire crews had to contend with not only the heat from the fire, but also the heat wave hitting the area over the past week.

“Cooling fans and cold towels were used to cool firefighters working exhaustively to bring the fire under control,” said Chief Partridge.

No injuries were reported, but the home and its contents were a total loss. A fund has been set up at Arby’s in Lebanon to help with the family’s needs.