POLITICS: Father burned as two children die in Union County fire – USSA News

Blairsville officials say the cause remains under investigation.

BLAIRSVILLE, GA — A fast-moving fire tore through a mobile home late Sunday morning, killing a 6-year-old girl and her 3-year-old brother as their father suffered severe burns trying to reach them, Union County officials said. The blaze erupted about 10:15 a.m. Sunday in the Warren Park Mobile Home community, where crews arrived to find the home fully involved and neighbors filming smoke and flames.

The deaths stunned relatives and first responders in this mountain county town as investigators sorted through charred debris for clues. Union County Fire and Rescue Chief David Dyer said the parents fought to get back inside but were driven back by heat and smoke. Family identified the parents as Dominick Spaulding and his wife, Shyla, who escaped with their 4-year-old daughter, Delilah. Spaulding was taken to a burn unit with second-degree burns; his wife and surviving child were treated for less serious injuries. Authorities said the state of the home left few immediate answers, and the cause remains unknown.

Fire units were dispatched just after 10 a.m. to the Warren Park loop off U.S. 129, where callers reported heavy fire venting from windows. “We arrived on the scene, and it was a fully involved mobile home,” Chief Dyer said in an interview, adding that crews attacked the fire from the exterior before advancing inside once conditions allowed. Relatives said Spaulding tried to push through the front and a side door to reach the children’s bedroom but could not get past the flames. A neighbor’s cellphone video, shared with local reporters, showed flames lapping above the roofline as firefighters stretched lines and worked to keep nearby units from catching. “They made an attempt, but they couldn’t get back in to get the other kids out,” Dyer said.

Family members identified the children as Ophelia, 6, and her brother, Dominick, 3. Spaulding’s mother, Shannon Burch, drove up from Florida after learning her son had been airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital’s burn center in Atlanta. “It’s just devastating,” Burch said outside the hospital, noting that she did not know whether her son had been told the children died. Officials said Delilah, 4, and her mother were recovering and with relatives. Fire investigators marked off the lot with tape through Sunday afternoon as they interviewed family, neighbors and first-in crews. Investigators said they would review the neighbor’s video and any available doorbell cameras to piece together a timeline. The children’s bodies were released to the county coroner pending autopsy results.

The fire’s intensity left the structure largely collapsed, according to officials at the scene. Warren Park is a compact community of single-wide units clustered on small pads, where narrow lanes can complicate access for fire trucks. Records show first-due units arrived within minutes, but radiant heat and wind pushed flames through the trailer before crews could complete a primary search. Dyer said space heaters and overloaded power strips are common factors in winter fires, but he emphasized the exact cause here remains undetermined. He also noted the importance of working smoke alarms in similar homes, adding that his department has responded to multiple cold-weather fires in recent years across the Blairsville area.

Union County Fire and Rescue said its investigators would continue scene work Monday, with a focus on the home’s living room and hallway where burn patterns appeared heaviest. The department will coordinate with the county coroner and insurance investigators to determine ignition source and first-fuel materials. No charges have been filed. Officials expect to release preliminary findings after laboratory analysis of debris collected at the site and after interviews with the surviving adults. Hospital officials said Spaulding remained in serious condition Sunday night with burns to his upper body and arms; his wife and daughter were expected to be discharged after observation.

Neighbors described a close-knit loop of families who share rides and swap tools. One resident said she saw smoke “push out like a wave” before hearing sirens. Another said he grabbed a garden hose to wet a fence line as embers blew toward his porch. Burch, holding back tears, said her son “did everything he could,” and thanked local crews for trying to reach the children’s room once conditions allowed. Firefighters rotated crews to cool down and rehydrate as temperatures hovered in the 40s and steam rose off the metal siding.

As of Monday afternoon, investigators had not declared a cause. The mobile home remained cordoned off while crews sifted ash and documented the floor layout. Officials said they hoped to provide an initial update later this week after additional interviews and a full scene walk-through.

Author note: Last updated December 15, 2025.