Firefighters Kept Busy on Weekend Leading Up to Thanksgiving

CLEVELAND, Ga. – While most Georgians were making plans to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families, White County’s public safety personnel, police and firefighters spent a busy weekend fulfilling their missions.

Public Safety Director David Murphy said in an email firefighters from all White County stations responded to many incidents throughout the weekend, including 10 ilegal burns and brush fires medical calls assisting Emergency Medical Services and auto accident.

On Sunday alone, the calls included structural fires and lost persons on Yonah Mountain.

Early Sunday morning, Murphy said, fire units responded on auto-aide to the city of Helen for a reported Commercial Fire on Edelweiss Strasse, and were later cancelled.

At 10:35 AM, 911 received a call of a structure fire in a commercial building at the Allison Honey Building off Town Creek Road.  Fire Station 5, 6 and 2 along with mutual aid from the City of Cleveland responded to the incident and found approximately a 1200-square foot wood frame structure with heavy fire showing.

Murphy said a quick interior attack knocked down the fire but the building and contents were destroyed.  The fire believed to have started from a wood stove located in the building.  No injuries were reported.

At 11:13 a.m.  911 received a call from two teens on Yonah Mountain. Murphy said, the two had been hiking for about two hours and were lost.  They were off the trail and could not find their way back.  Firefighters from Station 3 and Station 2 responded to the location and located the two hikers at approximately 1:28PM.

At 10:58 p.m., another structure fire was reported at 224 Magnolia Drive. firefighters from Station 2, Station 3 and Mutual Aid from Helen City and Lee Arrendale Correctional Institute responded to the incident. Upon first arrival of Engine 2, they reported heavy fire in a two-story structure.

Firefighters battled the blaze until 12:38 a.m. when the decision was made to go into defensive operations. The Georgia Forestry Commission was notified along with the state fire investigator. Murphy said the residence did not have power. He said the fire was apparently caused by a wood stove in the basement.  Firefighters remained on the scene until approximately 7:30 a.m.  No injuries were reported.

“Our firefighters along with the City of Cleveland and City of Helen do a remarkable job, our volunteers are dedicated and we appreciate the sacrifices they make on behalf of our community to keep us safe.”