Fire on Tybee Island injures one person, firefighters investigating the cause

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - Firefighters on Tybee Island are investigating the cause of a fire that left a home destroyed on 7th Avenue.

When Tybee Island Fire Fighters arrived around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon they found a two-story rental home in flames.

Tybee Island Fire Chief Justin McMillian said when they arrived at the home there were three people inside but they self-evacuated.

Families in the surrounding homes were also evacuated.

Crews on the scene said the heat made battling the fire much harder.

“It’s just really tough trying to work in this environment as anybody that works outside knows, then we got on all 75 pounds worth of gear,” said McMillian. “It’s all hotter and then you’re up inside a fire or right next to a fire, so people wear out a lot quicker so we just make sure everybody stays hydrated and takes their breaks to replenish.”

The City of Tybee Island says one person was inside the home at the time of the fire and jumped from a second-story window to escape.

They were transported to the hospital by EMS with a possible leg or foot injury but there were no other injuries.

The state fire investigator is now handling the investigation.