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Amputee Neighbor Crawled Through Window to Escape Fatal Macon Fire

A mother and three children died in a fire that destroyed a south Macon duplex this morning.

Bibb County fire chief Marvin Riggins says there were no fire detectors on either side of the building.

The victims have identified as Jennifer Caffee, 36; Elizabeth Caffee, 13; Wendy Chapman, 10; and Holly Tucker, 5.

The fire happened around 2 a.m. on Carmen Place in the Lynmore Estates neighborhood of south Macon.

Neighbors told 13WMAZ the fire was so bad there was nothing they could do to help. 

Teresa Walker, who lived in the apartment on the other side of the duplex, has an amputated leg and had to toss her crutches out of her front window to escape.

"I went asleep and a bunch of fire just came upon the door -- smoke -- and I got up, walked through the hallway; I tried to get out the back door. Couldn't get out 'cause the fire was so hot."

Athletes May Band Together to Help Kids

A basketball camp turned into a brain-storming session.

Sharone Wright is in town and is running a camp at Southwest High School this week.

Earlier this week Macon Mayor Robert Reichert proclaimed a Sharone Wright day.

Thursday County Commissioner Sam Hart met with Wright about ways to help kids down the road.

Wright who played professionally with the 76ers and in Europe has had this summer camp for sixteen years.

The motto is: If you don't get your work done you can't play.

Commissioner Hart approached Wright about expanding the camp to different parts of the city.

Plus there is a longer range goal of getting former players involved with kids.

If Fish Aren't Biting, Use a Smaller Worm

If you complained about the heat walking around town lately, fish are kind of in the same boat.

Bassmaster veteran Tom Hamlin says at this time of the year, fish have finished spawning, but sometimes they're just not that hungry with the warmer weather moving in.

He suggests if you're using a larger artificial worm, switch to a smaller bait.  Many times, Tom says he's seen a fish go after a lighter or shorter snack.

 

 

 

Watch the video in the player above for more.

 

Macon Drill Prepares Agencies for Emergency Situation

In an emergency, several law enforcement agencies and medical staff all have to work together.

Thursday, many gathered in Macon to test their skills by simulating a bomb explosion at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport.

"These exercises are very important," says emergency management coordinator Daniel Strandburg. "They're a requirement for a lot of agencies, but it gives the opportunity for municipalities, organizations, and agencies to collaborate, work together, and work on a seamless response to a mass casualty incident."

Over a hundred volunteers acted as victims of the fake blast, making the scenario more realistic for police, firefighters, and EMS. Evaluators watched their every move and will give them their critiques over the next week.

"You're going to have issues, and that's the whole point of this. You want to identify your capabilities and limitations," says Strandburg.

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Power Restored in Vista Circle, Ingleside Neighborhoods

Power has been restored to the Vista Circle and Ingleside neighborhoods.

Georgia Power tweeted that to 13WMAZ about 4 p.m.

Thursday afternoon the Macon neighborhood was without power.

According to the Georgia Power outage map around 2:30 p.m., 764 customers were affected in the Vista Circle area off of Vineville Ave. 

Macon Police: Bogus Bibb 'Deputies' Rob Business

Two men pretending to be Bibb County deputies robbed a man last night, according to a news release.

Police say the two men wore what appeared be partial deputies uniforms, pounding on the door and shouting "police" just after 8 p.m. at Margarita's Management, a business on the 5100 block of Log Cabin Drive.

They showed the victim a piece of paper they called a search warrant. It had the victim's name on it so he let the two men inside.

Once they got inside, they restrained the victim and took an undisclosed amount of money then drove off in a dark-colored SUV, possibly a Chevy Suburban with a chrome front.

One of the robbers was described as a white man with brownish-blonde hair and acne, standing between 5'5" - 5'7" and weighing between 140-150 lbs.

The other robber was described as a black man with gold teeth on the top and bottom. He stands between 6'4" and 6'5" and weighs between 185-195 lbs.

Emergency Officials Use Bomb Drill at Middle Ga. Airport

The Middle Georgia Regional Airport looked like a disaster area this morning. 

But it was only a drill as more than a dozen local agencies collaborated on disaster training.

The scenario involved an improvised bomb blowing up at the terminal in south Bibb County.

The airport was first locked-down then searched. First responders followed, sending almost 100 simulated victims to hospitals.

13WMAZ's Katelyn Heck was at the airport when the sirens sounded just after 10 a.m.

She'll have the sights and sounds from the scene tonight on Eyewitness News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.