A tragedy occurred in Rockdale County this week when four beautiful young children's lives were ended in a devastating house fire.

We pray for comfort and peace for the young mother Reba Glass, her son Darnell Jr., 6, and her family as they cope with their grief and these losses.

We mourn for the loss of the children - Ah'ariya, 9, Dar'Shawn, 7, Armoni, 3, and 8-month-old Deon Jr. - whose lives ended entirely too soon.
In the midst of the mourning, we urge people to use this reminder to ensure they're being safe with their home and family.

The weather is supposed to return to spring-like conditions over the weekend, but don't let your guard down as house fires can start in any condition and destroy possessions and lives.

We urge you to make sure your smoke detector is working and the batteries in your fire alarms are new or fully charged. If you are in need of a new smoke detector or not sure if it's working properly, contact the Rockdale County Fire and Rescue division at (770) 278-8401 during working hours Monday through Friday.

We also urge you to conduct regular emergency drills with your family so the children know how to escape in the event of a fire or in the case of a tornado or any disaster.

We also suggest you program 911 on your cell phone and those of your children just in case, as every second is vital in the case of fires and other emergencies. If you have any reason to be wary of your wiring, have an electrician inspect it and make sure your air filters are clean.

Let's make sure not one more family has to go through the heartache and suffering the Glass family is going through.