RIVERDALE, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
A Clayton County family left town for a Memorial Day vacation, but they're about to come home to a nightmare.
A fire gutted their house on Sugarcreek Drive around 12:20 a.m.
People who lived nearby sympathized with the homeowners.
"You gotta come home and see your house is gone. That's terrible," said Bobbie Shumate, a neighbor.
Shumate was asleep when her husband woke her. The home right across the street from them was on fire.
"I just started praying that's all I was doing, screaming, hollering, praying," Shumate said. "Fire looked like it was running away. It was going crazy. I couldn't believe that."
Neighbors huddled outside overnight and watched in disbelief. They were happy to hear that no one was hurt. The family who lives at that house was away on vacation.
"I'm just thankful they wasn't home," Shumate said.
A spokesman for the Clayton County Fire Department said firefighters kept the flames contained in the attic.
Johnny Brooks, a witness said the fire shot into the sky.
"All of a sudden, it was a glow, an amber looking color. I saw flames coming up 20 feet over the roof," Brooks said.
Brooks said he felt badly that the family lost their home. But at least everyone is alive to come back to a home.
"When you conserve life, you're always lucky," Brooks said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
There were no reported injuries.
Copyright 2012 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
Mark Melvin/CBS Atlanta- A Clayton family was out of town during this Memorial Day weekend fire.
