DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. -- A fireworks-related blaze destroyed three Dawson County homes early Thursday morning.
Eleven people in three families were displaced, including a Forsyth County Sheriff's deputy and his family.
The first 911 call came in around 12:15 am, and when firefighters arrived at the Burt's Crossing subdivision home, they discovered three homes on fire.
Dawson County Fire Rescue Chief Danny Thompson said the fire started at the middle home of the three homes that burned down. Thompson said homeowner Mike Wolski was shooting off fireworks with his family, all legally and safely, and afterward, he put the fireworks debris in a trash can and doused the debris with water.
But Thompson said a fire ignited nonetheless, a blaze that quickly destroyed all three homes.
Wolski is a father of two children, a 13-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter.
11Alive's Jon Shirek spoke with Wolski, who said he was devastated by the accident.
“I looked out my window and saw a glow,” he said. "I ran outside, I’m looking at my eve, my overhang, and the soffit was on fire. Luckily, everybody got out safely. The whole process took two to three minutes before the whole house was almost up in flames.”
“He cleaned up his debris, swept it all up, wet it down, placed it into a trash can, and just, once it consumed the contents of the trash can, it just really accelerated,” Thompson said.
Chief Thompson said no one will be cited.
"It’s just an unfortunate accident. Hopefully this is a valuable learning lesson for everybody.”
The Red Cross is helping the families with food, clothing and places to live.
PHOTOS: Three homes destroyed by fire
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