Local firefighters responded to a rash of fires on Sunday, Feb. 23, keeping them busy throughout the afternoon and evening. The fires spanned across Habersham and Banks counties, with multiple incidents occurring nearly simultaneously.
2:04 p.m.
One of the most significant fires was a grass/woods fire that broke out around 2:04 p.m. on John Wood Road in Clarkesville. As winds increased, the fire grew to about 3.5 acres.
Firefighters, including brush fire crews from Habersham and Cornelia, used rakes and blowers to prevent the fire from spreading to a nearby structure. A fire department spokesperson says they held back the flames until Georgia Forestry Commission personnel arrived to plow a break around the fire.
2:09 p.m.
While crews were battling the brush fire on the northern end of Habersham County, another call went out about a possible structure fire outside Cornelia.
Around 2:09 p.m., firefighters responded to the call in the 3900 block of Mud Creek Road. Habersham County Emergency Services spokesperson Rob Moore said they extinguished the fire just before it reached the house.
2:25 p.m.
At 2:25 p.m., personnel were paged to a structure fire in Baldwin. A 911 caller on Lake Ridge Trail reported seeing large flames. Moore says Baldwin police and Habersham County Sheriff’s Office deputies followed the column of smoke and located the burning home on Whippoorwill Way inside Banks County.
Habersham County and Lee Arrendale State Prison firefighters assisted Banks County units at the scene. Two pets died in the blaze. Banks County Fire Chief Steve Nichols says the house was a total loss.
2:47 p.m.
At 2:47 p.m., Habersham County E-911 received a report of another grass fire, this one in the 1800 block of Alley’s Chapel Road north of Clarkesville.
“First arriving units found a small fire and quickly extinguished it, canceling other responding apparatus and personnel,” says Moore.
4:02 p.m.
At 4:02 p.m., Habersham County Emergency Services, Clarkesville Fire Department, and Habersham County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residential fire on Hwy. 115 across from Fred Pitts Road in the Fairview community.
No one was injured, although a firefighter was hospitalized for possible dehydration. Two pets escaped the fire, but the residence was a total loss.
Fire crews cleared the scene at 6:45 p.m. Sunday. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
