GPS Error Leads Alabama Man to Save 14 People From Burning Georgia Home

Casey Sparks was driving home to Alabama from a softball tournament in Dalton, Georgia, when his navigation system repeatedly directed him toward Lyerly. He did not know why the device kept rerouting him. He did not know he was about to save a family of 14 from a fire.

The household included LaRita Burke, her husband James, 11 adopted children, and a grandchild. The family was asleep in their home near Lyerly on October 17. Sparks spotted flames and stopped his vehicle. He told his 13-year-old son, Cason, to call for help. Sparks then entered the house to wake James, who had fallen asleep in a recliner.

LaRita Burke said the smoke alarms were installed throughout the home, but the family was unaware of the danger until Sparks arrived. She noted that many of the children are autistic, making sudden changes in routine frightening. A brush fire near the property two weeks prior had allowed the children to observe firefighters and emergency vehicles. Burke believes that prior exposure helped them accept assistance during the house fire.

Sparks physically assisted in the evacuation. LaRita said he carried Isabella, a nearly 70-pound child who could not support her head, from her hospital bed to a trampoline in the yard. Isabella was the first child he moved to safety. Sparks returned inside to help the others. Older children held babies and guided younger siblings by the hand. Cason kept the children calm outside while his father continued the rescue.

Sparks was the last person to exit the house. The family gathered near the trampoline before moving to a field across the road. LaRita, wearing her nightgown and barefoot, watched firefighters battle the flames. She initially thought the firefighters were extinguishing the fire so she could enter and clean up. It took a few moments for her to realize the home was gone.

The fire destroyed family photographs, children's scrapbooks, Bibles, a grandmother's quilt, and pictures of the children's biological families. No one suffered burns or smoke inhalation. The Burkes have a history of practicing fire and tornado drills. LaRita said the older children knew where to escape and where to gather.

Both Sparks and LaRita attribute their meeting to divine intervention. Sparks told The Guardian, "Everything that lined up for me to be there when I was, how I was, there’s no other explanation." He added, "It was God. That’s it." LaRita wrote on Facebook, "God went before us." She credited God with bringing Sparks to the house and protecting her family.

The family is currently seeking a rental home where they can stay together. LaRita asked for prayers for the children to feel loved and secure while they wait to rebuild. She stated, "God hears our prayers."