Three Weekend Fires Reported in Cleveland
News January 31, 2017
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.
Child Struck by Pickup Truck in Ingles Parking Lot
News January 17, 2017
CLEVELAND, Ga. — A three-year-old child was seriously injured today when he was struck by a pickup truck in the parking lot of Cleveland Ingles store.
Cleveland Fire Chief Ricky Pruitt said the child’s mother was placing groceries in the back of her car when the pickup truck backed out of the opposite parking space and pinned the child between the truck and his mother’s car.
Paramedics arrived and performed CPR and a helicopter was called to airlift the child but due to his condition, he was transported instead by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating. Fetch Your News will have more details when they become available.
Commercial Fire in Cleveland Injures One Employee
News January 16, 2017
CLEVELAND, Ga. — One employee suffered burns to his right arm in a fire at North Georgia Powerstroke Diesel on Hwy 129 south of Cleveland Monday afternoon.
White County 9-1-1 dispatch received the call at 1:19 PM. The commercial fire prompted several fire units from White County and City of Cleveland Fire Departments.
The owner of the business, Patrick Knight, said, “We use a flammable brake cleaner to wash parts with and at some point somebody hit something and it arced,” He said they used two fire extinguishers on the blaze but were unable to put it out.
Knight said Deruk Staton tried to save one of the vehicles and received burns on his right arm.
Cleveland Fire Department And White County fire units quickly brought the blaze under control.
Knight said, three vehicles in the shop area were damaged by either the fire or from smoke from the fire.
Firefighters Battle Mobile Home Blaze in Cleveland
Business December 14, 2016
CLEVELAND, Ga. — The Cleveland Fire Department and White County Fire Services responded to to a mobile home fire at 340 Boulevard Street this morning just before 1 a.m.
The resident, who was not identified, informed firefighters he was awakened by the fire alarm and managed to escape injury. The fire was contained in the bedroom area but the entire home suffered smoke damage.
Cleveland Fire Marshall Charlie Bryson investigated and determined the fire was accidental and was caused by an electrical malfunction.
Fetch Your News will have more details when they become available.
Stackhouse Fire Sends Firefighters Scrambling
News November 24, 2016
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Public Safety Director David Murphy reports White County Fire Services responded at 3:52 a.m. Wednesday, to a working fire inside a stackhouse at 211 Hidden Pond Road in White county.
Murphy said, “Exposures were a concern as chicken houses were located within 40-50 feet of the working fire. rews knocked down the main fire at 4:13 a.m., and reduced the response of all other incoming units. The fire remained on the interior of the building and firefighters remained on scene until 6:45 a.m.
Firefighters from Station 2, Station 4, mutual aid from City of Cleveland Fire Department and Lee Arrendale State Prison Fire Department were summoned to the incident.
No injuries were reported and the fire apparently started by combustion of stored materials, according to Murphy.the structure.
Firefighters Kept Busy on Weekend Leading Up to Thanksgiving
News November 22, 2016
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.”
Wildfire at Raven Cliffs Wilderness Area
News November 7, 2016
CLEVELAND, Ga. – A wildfire that broke out Sunday in the Raven Cliffs Wilderness area and spread across at least 24 acres above Raven Cliff Falls Trail was 80 percent contained at last report.
Units from the White County and Cleveland Fire Department responded to the fire along with the U.S. Forest Service. A post on the USFS website said the fire was 80 percent contained by Sunday evening. There have been no updates since then.
According to the website, a quick inter-agency response from hotshot crews from California and a helicopter aided in the containment of the fire.
Raven Cliffs Trail is just off Richard Russell Scenic Highway east of the Appalachian Trail.
Fetchyournews.com will have more details as they become available.
Residential Fire Reported on River Road
News October 26, 2016
CLEVELAND, Ga. — White County and City of Cleveland firefighters responded to a structure fire Tuesday around 10:30 p.m. at a residence on River Rd. Upon arrival of the first units, it was discovered that a mattress was on fire in one of the bedrooms. The fire was quickly extinguished and no one was in the home at the time. Brian Smith from the State Fire Marshall’s office was called in to investigate; the cause is unknown and under investigation. No injuries were reported.
Fire Destroys Mobile Home, Family Pets
News September 20, 2016
CLEVELAND, Ga. — A fire of unknown origin destroyed a mobile home at 152 Rocket Drive in Cleveland Monday. The occupants were not at home at the time but several family pets perished in the blaze.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy said several units from the White County Fire Department, Cleveland Fire Department and Lee Arrendale State Prison responded to a 9-1-1 call 12:51 p.m.
Murphy said firefighters found a singlewide mobile home with additions fully involved by fire when they arrived and that the fire is now under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
No further details have been released.
Sunday Fire Damages Cleveland Home
News August 29, 2016
CLEVELAND, Ga. – A kitchen fire at a home at 37 Robin Hood Drive in Cleveland sent units from both White County and the Cleveland Fire Departments racing to the scene Sunday morning.
Cleveland Fire Chief Ricky Pruitt said when units arrived heavy smoke was visible and the fire, which was located in the kitchen was quickly extinguished. Pruitt added that the fire was the result of unattended grease being heated on the stove.
The home sustained moderate damage and the Red Cross was called on to assist the residents.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Fire Damages Several Downtown Businesses
News August 22, 2016
CLEVELAND — A fire at a Cleveland strip mall damaged half a dozen buildings Sunday afternoon, but there were no reports of injuries.
Cleveland and White County firefighters were called to the complex at 195 East Jarrard St., at 5:05 p.m.
Cleveland Fire Chief Ricky Pruitt said, “It appears it originated in the second unit, extended into the ceiling and burned evidently through the floor into the attic of the basement units.”
Firefighters were able to contain the fire in the upstairs unit first, then worked to extinguish the fire in the downstairs businesses.
“A total of at least five units have heat and water damage,” Pruitt added.
Four units upstairs were occupied; others were unoccupied. Styles and Smiles and Horizon Appraisals are among the businesses known to be damaged at this time.
Firefighters from Lee Arrendale State Prison also responded to assist.
State Fire Investigator Brian Smith remained on scene at 8 p.m. Sunday, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Gateway Residents Evacuated After Smoke Scare
News August 15, 2016
CLEVELAND, Ga. — The 55 residents of Gateway Health & Rehabilitation, 3201 Westmoreland Road in Cleveland, were evacuated Sunday following a report of smoke in the building.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy said units from White County and Cleveland were dispatched around noon. No fire was discovered, but the smoke was caused by some electrical issues that caused the air conditioning units to fail.
With the summer heat reaching into the upper 80s, Gateway employees began looking to move the residents to other facilities where they would be more comfortable. But just as busses had been located to transport residents, the maintenance workers from Habersham Electric were able to fix the problem and move residents back into the facility.
“HEMC workers came through,” Murphy said. “They worked hard to figure out how to get the power restored.”
Charlie Bryson Announces School Board Campaign
News, Politics July 29, 2016
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Charlie Bryson, an arson investigator for Gwinnett County and a lifelong resident of White County, has qualified to run for the District 2 seat on the White County Board of Education. The non-partisan election will be held in November.
Bryson, 45, graduated from White County High School in 1986 and holds several technical degrees from North Georgia Tech and Lanier Tech and is currently working on a Bachelor’s Degree at Columbia Southern University.
He began working at the City of Cleveland Fire Department when he was 18 years old and worked with the White County Fire Department from 1989 until 2011 where he is still a volunteer.
“Our schools have made good progress since I graduated and I would like to see that forward progress continue in a way that is fair to the students, staff and the taxpayers,” he said Friday. “I’ve worked in public safety my whole life and I believe with my experience in working for government, I can help to make a positive change.”
Bryson will campaign for the District 2 seat left vacant when Roger Fitzpatrick resigned to run for U.S. Congress against Congressman Doug Collins.
If elected, he will serve the remainder of Fitzpatrick’s term which ends in December 2018.