Three Weekend Fires Reported in Cleveland

CLEVELAND, Ga. — It was a very busy weekend for firefighters in Cleveland and White County who responded to three fires.

Both fire departments responded to a house fire at 135 Old Blairsville Road inside the city limits Sunday evening.

Lt. Mark Gunter of the Cleveland Fire Department said an HVAC unit caught fire and units responded at 9:03 p.m. The home suffered little damage and there were no injuries.

Gunter said the homeowner disconnected the HVAC, turned off other utilities and evacuated the residence before firefighters arrived.

Gunter added that the city and county fire departments have worked together to educate the public about what to do in case of a fire and the homeowner did the right thing.

Earlier in the day, the City of Cleveland Stations 4 and 5 responded to the report of structure fire at a home on Wildwood Trail. Upon arrival, firefighters found it to be a chimney fire with no apparent danger. Creosote buildup had caused the “flare up.” Firefighters advised the homeowner to have the chimney cleaned by a professional chimney sweep prior to using it again.

Next came a flare up on Hood Acres Road where firefighters discovered what had been reported as but turned out to be another chimney fire caused by a creosote build up in the chimney.

Fortunately, little damage was done and there were no injuries in any of the fires.