Not long after the cold rain and wind moved in last Saturday night, the Brantley Fire Department responded to the house fire of one of their own.

The call came in at 11:03 p.m. from the Dozier Highway at the home of Elizabeth Johnson, the mother of fireman Jimmy Johnson.

“The rain kept the smoke close to the ground, and it was tough to see your hand in front of your face,” said chief Harry Driggers. “You could barely see anything.”

Johnson made it out of the house, and around 3 a.m., the firefighters returned back home.

“We had many brave fireman who risked their lives during those tough conditions,” Driggers said.

The Brantley Fire Department also received assistance from the Dozier, Spring Hill and Bullock fire departments.

It is believed that the fire started in the fireplace, and there was substantial smoke damage to the house.

Driggers also said that occasions like this are the reason the firefighters go through so much work and effort.

“A lot of people don’t realize the training and the hours that go into it,” he said. “In the past year, we’ve had 94 runs of all different kinds. We’ve put in close to 600 hours of training. We even sent three firefighters to Las Vegas for training.”

“You never know when it’ll be your own, and all of these firefighters put forth a huge amount of time and effort,” Driggers added.