According to Habersham County Emergency Services Captain Matt Ruark, 911 dispatched first responders to 2492 Riverbend Road at 3:32 p.m. on Monday, October 14, in response to a 911 call that a brush fire had gotten out of control and threatened the resident’s house.
While en route, due to the nature of the call and the high winds, the Clarkesville Fire Department, a tanker truck, a brush truck, and the Georgia Forestry Service were also dispatched to the scene to provide assistance. Firefighters from Lee Arrendale State Prison also assisted on the call.
When firefighters arrived, they found approximately a quarter of an acre on fire. The fire was threatening several structures on the property, says Ruark.
Crews had to shuttle in water to extinguish the flames due to a lack of hydrants. They were able to get the fire under control approximately 45 minutes after they arrived.
Fire crews, with the assistance of the Georgia Forestry Service, overhauled the area to ensure the fire was out due to the high winds Monday afternoon. Crews remained on the scene until after 6 p.m. to extinguish any remaining hot spots.
According to Ruark, there were no injuries to any of the residents or first responders.
“Incidents like these are a perfect example for residents to call or go online to obtain a burn permit each day so they can see if it’s ok to burn,” Ruark said.
Habersham County property owners and residents are required to obtain a burn permit for each day they plan to burn. For more information about outdoor burning, click here to go to the county’s website.
This article has been update with additional information
