Investigators still have not determined what caused a fire that destroyed a 50-year-old barn inside the city limits of Cornelia on Monday. The blaze killed 30 chickens. Fourteen goats escaped unharmed, according to owner Ernie Garrett.
Cornelia firefighters responded to the blaze around 7:37 p.m. on Jan. 15 after Garrett’s family called 911. The barn was located off Cash Street behind the family home near old Cornelia Elementary School.
Garrett tells Now Habersham he was home alone when the fire broke out. He says he checked the pasture around 7 p.m., and everything was fine. When his wife and children returned home thirty minutes later, they asked him what was on fire. That’s when the family noticed the burning barn in their backyard.
(Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)Information released on Jan. 17 by the Cornelia Fire Marshal says firefighters arrived on the scene within minutes of receiving the call and found the barn fully involved. It took them about 11 minutes to bring the fire under control.
The barn was hooked up to electricity, and the Garretts used heat lamps to keep the animals warm. Still, Cornelia Fire Marshal Josh Hazle says the cause of the fire remains undetermined.
Garrett says his family has housed animals in the barn for years and never had any issues. He was clearly upset by the loss of life and property.
The barn, which was originally built in the 1970s, was insured. Garrett says insurance investigators will now work to try to determine what caused the fire. Once the insurance is settled, he hopes to rebuild.
