GPS detour leads driver to burning Georgia home; family of 14 escapes
A motorist heading home to Alabama was routed by GPS onto Georgia Highway 114 near Lyerly on 17 October and found a house on fire. He woke the sleeping Burke family, and all 14 got out unharmed.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2A family of 14 escaped a house fire near Lyerly in northwest Georgia late on 17 October after a passing driver, diverted by his GPS, saw the blaze and woke them. NBC NewsLC “A large Georgia family survived flames that completely destroyed their house — thanks to a Good Samaritan who stumbled upon the blaze after his GPS took him a different way home” Read at NBC News ↗ The Times of IndiaN “All 14 residents, including two adults, 11 children, and one grandchild, escaped the blaze unharmed.” Read at The Times of India ↗ Left · 1NBC News reported that firefighters were called at 11:58 p.m. to 28 Rowlls Road, where Lyerly Fire Chief Tim Deberry said they found the structure completely engulfed. NBC NewsLC “Firefighters in northwest Georgia were called at 11:58 p.m. on Oct. 17 and rushed to 28 Rowlls Road, where they found the structure completely engulfed by flames” Read at NBC News ↗ Mixed · 2The driver is named Casey Sparks, 37, in NBC News, which says he was returning to Concord, Alabama, from a softball game in Dalton, Georgia, with his 13-year-old son. The Times of India calls him "Mr Casey". NBC NewsLC “Sparks had been playing softball that day in Dalton, Georgia, and was headed home to Concord, Alabama” Read at NBC News ↗ The Times of IndiaN “The driver, identified by the family as a motorist named Mr Casey, was traveling with his son south of Lyerly, Georgia” Read at The Times of India ↗
Left · 1Sparks said his GPS kept steering him onto Georgia State Route 114, which he had not used on the way up, even after he re-entered the route two or three times. NBC NewsLC ““I redid my GPS like two or three times and it kept telling me to go that way,” Sparks told NBC News.” Read at NBC News ↗ Left · 1From the top of a hill he saw a glow like a bonfire. At the house he found a teenage boy trying to fight the fire with a garden hose, and he told his son to call 911 before going inside. NBC NewsLC “Sparks rolled up to the scene and spotted a teenage boy fighting a losing battle against flames with a garden hose.”“Sparks said he told his 13-year-old son to call 911.” Read at NBC News ↗ Left · 1Inside, Sparks yelled for the occupants to get out. He carried a girl who was in a hospital bed through a second door, because the first was engulfed, and handed her to a neighbor over the fence. He then went back in to help the others. NBC NewsLC ““So I found another door and went outside and handed her over the fence and then went back inside to help get everybody else out. “” Read at NBC News ↗
Left · 1James Burke, 58, said he had fallen asleep in his recliner and woke to a stranger yelling in his living room that the house was on fire. NBC NewsLC “Burke told the outlet he fell asleep in his recliner that night as the rest of his family were in their beds.” Read at NBC News ↗ Mixed · 2Chief Deberry said Sparks likely saved lives, and that if the family had stayed inside about five more minutes there would have been fatalities. Larita Burke likewise told KKTV, as quoted by the Times of India: "If it had been another five minutes, it would've been a different situation." NBC NewsLC ““If they would have been in there for probably no more than five more minutes, there would have been fatalities.”” Read at NBC News ↗ The Times of IndiaN “"If it had been another five minutes, it would've been a different situation," Larita Burke told KKTV.” Read at The Times of India ↗ Mixed · 2The accounts differ on household details. NBC News says James and Larita Burke, 11 adopted children and one grandchild escaped. The Times of India says two adults, 11 children and one grandchild escaped, but it also refers to bringing out "all 12 children". NBC NewsLC “James and Larita Burke, their 11 adopted children and one grandchild made it out safely” Read at NBC News ↗ The Times of IndiaN “assisted in bringing all 12 children out of the structure to safety” Read at The Times of India ↗
Centre · 1The Times of India, citing Local 3 News, reported that the house was declared a total loss and that the Burkes have fostered more than 500 children over 15 years. It said the couple plan to rebuild and resume fostering, and that neighbours and local organisations have offered clothing, shelter and supplies. The Times of IndiaN “the couple has fostered more than 500 children, providing temporary care and shelter to young people in need”“The Burkes confirmed that they intend to rebuild their home on the site and plan to resume fostering children once permanent housing is established.” Read at The Times of India ↗ Centre · 1The Times of India reported that the Chattooga County Sheriff's Office said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. NBC News does not give a cause. The Times of IndiaN “The Chattooga County Sheriff's Office reported that the cause of the fire remains under investigation” Read at The Times of India ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- A first-hand human-interest report built on interviews with the rescuer, the fire chief and the homeowner, told as a GPS misdirection that put a rescuer in the right place.
- Emphasis
- Sparks's own account of the rescue, the fire chief's assessment that lives were saved, and the rescuer's remarks about helping neighbours and a possible divine hand.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the Burkes' fostering history, the community support, plans to rebuild or the investigation into the fire's cause.
- Charged language
- “Good Samaritan”“uncooperative GPS”
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- An aggregated retelling of other outlets' reports (Local 3 News, Hoodline, KKTV, 11Alive) with an emphasis on fate and on the family's fostering legacy and recovery.
- Emphasis
- The Burkes' 15 years and 500+ foster children, community support, plans to rebuild and the pending cause investigation.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not give the driver's full name, age or the time of the 911 call, and does not include the fire chief's account or details of how the rescue unfolded.
- Charged language
- “Legacy of care”“Late-night rescue”
- For example
-
“The Burkes have dedicated much of their lives to child welfare in their local community.” — The Times of India
“"all our babies made it out."” — The Times of India
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- The fire destroyed the house near Lyerly, Georgia, on the night of 17 October.
- A driver heading home to Alabama was sent onto Highway 114 by his GPS and saw the fire from a hill.
- He went into the house and woke the family, and all 14 people escaped unharmed.
- Larita Burke and the fire chief both said the family had about five minutes.
Where accounts differ
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Household composition and the driver's name
- Left
- NBC News: James and Larita Burke, 11 adopted children and one grandchild; the driver is Casey Sparks, 37.
- Centre
- The Times of India: two adults, 11 children and one grandchild, but also refers to 12 children; the driver is called "Mr Casey".
Burke family house fire in Georgia other
The Burkes say they are grateful the driver's detour brought him to them, that all their children survived, and that they intend to rebuild and resume fostering.
““He was on the wrong road. His GPS put him on the wrong path,” Burke said.” — NBC News
“all our babies made it out.” — The Times of India
South Asia1 outlet
The Times of India retells the story from US local-news sources and adds the Burkes' fostering history and community response.
“Over the past 15 years, the couple has fostered more than 500 children” — The Times of India
The Times of India
North America1 outlet
NBC News reports from its own interviews, focusing on the rescue and the rescuer.
“Sparks told NBC News.” — NBC News
NBC News
Left1 article
-
Motorist led astray by GPS in Georgia stumbles upon house fire and saves sleeping family of 14
Sympathetic First-hand human-interest report that centres the rescuer's story and the fire chief's verdict that lives were saved, with a light, wry touch on the GPS.
Centre1 article
-
A wrong turn in Georgia led an Alabama driver to rescue a sleeping family of 14 from a house fire
Sympathetic Aggregated feel-good account that stresses the Burkes' fostering work and community response, and quotes them as saying something led the driver down their road.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 26 Oct 16:40 First The Times of IndiaN A wrong turn in Georgia led an Alabama driver to rescue a sleeping family of 14 from a house fire
- 27 Oct 17:29 +24h 50m NBC NewsLC Motorist led astray by GPS in Georgia stumbles upon house fire and saves sleeping family of 14
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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