A fast-moving brush fire inside Coosawattee River Resort was contained and knocked out by Gilmer Fire and Rescue and Georgia Forestry Service crews last Thursday. The fire spanned a wooded area around the neighborhoods of Pacer Court and Villa Lane.
“It was a ground fire driven by high winds and low humidity. The steep terrain, low humidity and wind were all working against us, which is a setup for disaster. Fortunately, we have a good battalion chief, Aaron Freeman, who made some really good calls getting resources in place and requesting resources so everybody could get on scene and get to work,” said Deputy Fire Chief Mark Chastain.
“They encountered pretty treacherous fire conditions for a few minutes but we were able to get three attack lines on the ground. As crews arrived, we put them in the woods doing hand lines around the perimeter. Georgia Forestry put all three of their personnel on the ground to assist us. The terrain was so steep where we were that forestry couldn’t use their dozer, so we had to do everything by hand or by water line,” he added.
There was no damage to any nearby homes and the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Chastain said.
“There was a shed that had some damage to it. (The property owner) was able to deploy a garden hose quickly, which helped protect his house,” he added.
Chastain described the type of weather conditions that can cause a brush fire to get out of control, even in a time of the year when wet weather is usually prevalent.
“During the winter months, we have these cold days that come in and drive the humidity way down. The air gets so dry that it sucks the moisture out of everything. It takes the moisture out of the fuel (leaves) right on top of the ground, which is what burned,” he explained.
Just a few days later, continuing rainfall and heavy winds brought downed trees, power outages and a flash flood watch to the county.
“As the old saying goes, ‘Welcome to Georgia. If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes and we’ll give you something else,’” Chastain said.