Family, Cat Escaped Fire That Ripped Through Marietta Home

MARIETTA, GA — As an early morning fire ripped through a Marietta home, the family and their cat were able to escape, according to the Marietta Fire Department.

The fire broke out around 5 a.m. Wednesday morning at a home on the corner of Polk and Hope streets near Marietta Middle School. Neighbors and nearby residents were instructed to shelter in place as firefighters put out the house fire, WSB-TV reported.

Marietta Councilman Johnny Walker, who lives nearby, told the Marietta Daily Journal that the family was safe at a neighbor's house.

"Everybody got out, including the cat," Walker told the news outlet. They "were pretty shaken up and seem to be OK. Just kind of in shock."

Fire crews got the fire under control around 7 a.m. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, department officials said.