Fairview Drive homeowner: ‘I just hate that this happened’

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – By the time the sun rose Thursday morning, the fire was all but gone.

Left, were the pieces of a home destroyed.

“I’d just like for them to know that from my heart and my wife’s heart that we’re so sorry,” said Fairview Drive homeowner Don Coffey.

The tears weren’t the first Coffey cried Thursday.

“I’m glad the other firemen are okay,” said Coffey. “I pray that the family will heal and that their loved one is in heaven with Jesus.”

The Coffeys lost their belongings and several pets in a fire that destroyed their home, but took even more than that.

“I just thank the fire department for all they did, I just hate that this happened,” said Coffey.

41NBC spoke with a few neighbors who say they didn’t want to go on camera, but they did say this neighborhood is generally peaceful and generally quiet. Having the fire trucks and firemen up and down the street all night as been tough to deal with, but they say the knowledge of a family losing everything, and that a Macon-Bibb firefighter was lost, was even worse.

Prince Moon lives next to the family.

“Don and I have been friends for the past, about 10 years,” said Moon.

His feelings mirror Don’s: He’s grieving because of the loss.

“It’s been a shock to all of us here,” said Moon. “We’re trying to comfort Don as best we can. It’s a time of bereavement for his dogs. And he lost everything. Just has the clothes on his back, and his cell phone. That’s about it.”

“I [want to] be there at the visitation and the funeral, I’m definitely going to be there,” said Coffey.

Don is nursing burns on his neck, but his injuries are nothing compared to the loss of a firefighter.