Family members are helping a west Savannah man today after an early morning fire destroyed most of his Cloverdale home.
Savannah firefighters arrived at the man’s home at 1610 Rosemary St. just before 4:45 a.m. and encountered heavy smoke and flames shooting more than 20 feet above the structure’s roof.
Once firefighters ensured that no one was in the house, they took a defensive posture against the flames. Deteriorating conditions inside the one-story brick home made for an unsafe environment for firefighters.
Once the bulk of the fire had been knocked down from the outside, firefighters returned to attacking the flames from inside the structure. It took more than 30 minutes to extinguish the flames and bring the incident under control. A large portion of the home’s roof collapsed, and the rest of the structure sustained extreme fire, smoke and water damage.
The lone occupant of the home told firefighters he was doing some house cleaning in the kitchen when the fire erupted. Flames quickly extended up a wall and into the attic.
The resident reportedly attempted to extinguish the flames with a garden hose, however those efforts failed. He was treated by emergency medical personnel on scene for minor smoke inhalation. He was not transported to a hospital. No other injuries were reported as a result of the fire.
Relatives arrived at the location to assist the resident with living arrangements.