Man dies ‘a true hero’ trying to save dogs from burning home, Georgia family says
.jpeg "William Mitchem, 45, died May 3 after he tried saving two dogs from a house fire in Baldwin County, Georgia, fire rescue officials said.")
A Georgia man died in a house fire after going back in to save his family’s dogs, relatives and fire rescue officials said.
“My dad was...He was trying to get out...He was so close...” Aaliyah Mitchem told WGXA of her father, 45-year-old William Mitchem. Crews found his body near the front door.
Firefighters responded around 10 p.m. May 3 after reports of a fire at a home in Milledgeville, according to WMGT. They arrived to find the house engulfed in flames and were told someone was still inside.
Mitchem was reportedly trying to save the family’s pets after the fire broke out, Baldwin County Fire Rescue Chief Victor Young told The Union-Recorder. Both dogs are believed to have died in the blaze.
McClatchy News reached out to Baldwin County Fire Rescue on May 8 and was awaiting a response.
“We lost a great man,” a GoFundMe launched for the family reads. “Snug was a true hero to everyone around him ... He would help anyone, anywhere. We as a family are in shock.”
Relatives said it’s not the first time Mitchem jumped into action to save a loved one, according to WGXA. Last year, he helped rescue his 5-year-old granddaughter when she became trapped after falling into a 40-foot well.
“He was the only one skinny enough to fit in that hole to go down there and get her and bring her back up,” Aaliyah Mitchem told the station. “And in this fire he was ... at the front door trying to get the dogs out.”
Firefighters discovered Mitchem’s body after putting out the flames.
An investigation determined the blaze was accidental and likely caused by “a pinched wire on a surge protector,” fire rescue Capt. Bradley Towe told The Union-Recorder.
Towe said pinched cords can cause a breakdown of insulation inside the wiring, leading to electrical heating and eventually ignition when they touch, according to the newspaper.
No funeral plans for Mitchem have been announced as of May 8.
Milledgeville is about 95 miles southeast of Atlanta.
This story was originally published May 8, 2023 at 8:23 AM with the headline "Man dies ‘a true hero’ trying to save dogs from burning home, Georgia family says."