Rossville Daycare Evacuated After Nearby Building Catches Fire

Maleigha Clowdus knew something just wasn’t right when she was rushed out of her classroom at Lakeview Christian Daycare.

Maleigha adds, "Scared of the fire burning me."

A daycare worker spotted a fire in a trailer just feet away.

Chief Bruce Ballew, with Fort Oglethorpe Fire and Rescue, says, "It was in between the ceiling and the roof."

Within minutes the daycare was evacuated and children were taken to Lakeview Christian Academy.

Jeremy Clowdus, Maleigha’s father, says, "I was just worried with it being so close to the school."

David Hammontree is the youth pastor at the church next door; Lakeview Ministries.

He says he was getting the youth building all set for Wednesday night services when the fire started.

Hammontree adds, "Turned the heating unit on just to get the chill off. Went for a meeting in another building."

Thirty to forty-five minutes later, Hammontree, says smoke was visible.

Chief Ballew says, "They’ll be looking at the air conditioning and the heating unit, the wiring in the building to see where it originated from."

Hammontree tells us the fire was moving slow, so he had enough time to rip out thousands of dollars worth of equipment.

Hammontree adds, "We got out a sound board, speakers, set of drums, projector."

Some pieces of lighting equipment were not able to be saved, but church leaders say they are not sweating the small stuff.

Children, like Maleigha, are ok and that’s all that matters.

Hammontree adds, "God always uses things to bless us in other ways. What may seem like a tragedy, He turns to triumph, so that’s where we stand."