While many people were watching the solar eclipse Monday afternoon, April 8, local firefighters were responding to a fire off GA 197 North.
A neighbor called to report the fire at 111 Wind Forest Court, Clarkesville, at 3 p.m.
“The call came out as a possible storage shed fire with involvement into the wood line with a lot of explosions heard inside the building and several cars nearby the homeowners were trying to move,” said HCES Battalion Chief Michael Alexander. “When I arrived, [there was] possibly about three-quarters of an acre involvement.”
Multiple units from Habersham County Emergency Services responded.
The Lee Arrendale State Prison Fire Department Fire Team was canceled by the incident commander while on the way to the scene.
“We had an elderly gentleman that had fallen in the driveway,” Alexander said. “He was assisted by our EMS crews. He is uninjured.”
Alexander said the fire was contained and extinguished.
“It appeared to be accidental,” Alexander said. “The homeowner appeared to be burning some trash in a burn pit.”
A storage shed, cargo trailer, and golf cart were destroyed by the fire.
Home owner Stan Jackson stated that he had a small fire on Monday. ” It burned our outbuilding, a trailer, and a golf cart. Luckily, the fire department got here and got it under control before it reached the house.”
Jackson stated that he had bought the outbuilding just a few weeks ago.
The fire occurred just feet from a fiberglass boat that sustained no damage in the blaze.
Units returned to service just after 4:30 p.m.
