Rockmart man injured in fire trying to save kitten

A Rockmart-area man was transported to Floyd Medical Center with second degree burns and respiratory problems from smoke and heat after an overnight fire destroyed a doublewide trailer on McCown Road.

Polk County Public Safety Director Randy Lacey said the doublewide at 101 McGowan Road, which is off Highway 278 near the City of Rockmart, was potentially started as an electrical fire in the middle of the night on Wednesday, July 5.

He explained that Joe Bradford was injured and taken to Floyd Medical Center for treatment early this morning after he tried to go back into the burning trailer to retrieve a family pet. The hospital later reported that he was treated and he was no longer a patient in their system, but for privacy reasons could not provide further information.

"He was going back in to get his kitten, and got injured in the process," Lacey said.

Bradford and his father lived in the trailer together, Lacey said.

He added that no one else was injured, and he said no remains of the kitten were found during his investigation of the scene last week.

Though Lacey said it was likely the fire was started by a potential electrical problem, he said he could not make that determination fully since the amount of destruction from the flames made it impossible to completely determine the cause.