Man survives fire thanks to his granddaughter; community hopes to reel in more support

By Asia Wilson

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    CARROLLTON, Georgia (WANF) — Residents are rallying around a 74-year-old, Bobby Partlow, who lost everything in this fire early Friday morning.

Loved ones tell us he doesn’t have insurance, which is why they’re asking for more help. Family members said the home is now a complete loss.

“Bobby deserves to be helped and the more that I have been around people and see the love for Bobby, the friendships, and the relationships that he’s made over the years,” said Crissy Brooks. “He is very loved by the people in this community. It’s very clear,” Brooks said.

Brooks is a family friend. She is best friends with Partlow’s daughter—Kadie. She started a Go Fund Me. She hopes to raise $50,000 to help Partlow rebuild. Brooks said she wants to return the love Partlow has given to the entire community.

“I didn’t want to try to help to get any kind of thank you or anything. I genuinely just want to help,” Brooks said. “People have said that he would take the shirt off his back for you and what I know about Bobby. I believe that,” she said.

Partlow was in his home with his 16-year-old granddaughter at the time of the fire. She was able to wake him up to escape the fire at 4 a.m.

“I realized the whole wall was on fire. I didn’t know what was wrong, the whole wall was on fire, and I had called for my Paw Paw, and he was yelling back to me, and I was like the house is on fire,” said Sadie Anderson, Partlow’s granddaughter. “I didn’t smell anything. I didn’t hear anything. I honestly believe that God woke me up, because it was quiet and there was no smell or anything. It was honestly just God,” Anderson said.

Anderson said coming to her grandfather’s house every weekend has been a tradition since she was weeks old.

“He’s my best friend. We’ve done so much together. We’ve been through a lot of stuff together,” Anderson said. “The one thing that really had me shook up during all of it, was that if I wasn’t here, he probably wouldn’t have gotten out. That’s what really tore me up,” Anderson said.

Partlow said he’s grateful his granddaughter was there.

“Surviving through this, I’m lucky. Jesus pulled us through this one because this was a close one,” Partlow said. “I heard Sadie hollering and I said what. She was hollering and screaming and then I jumped up and I knew something was wrong then,” he said.

Now, Partlow is hoping he can rebuild there again.

“I lost everything except my pair of underwear,” Partlow said. “Trying to work on this thing. Trying to get it torn down and moved,” he said. “Anything will help, and I appreciate what people have done already. Appreciate it. They have been real nice,” Partlow said.

Anderson hopes the community can continue to rally around her grandfather.

“It’s just a real blessing that I was able to be here, and he could be out,” Anderson said. “He doesn’t have insurance on the house, so he has nothing. So, anything would really help,” she said.

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