Sunday, March 5, 2006 - 2:22 pm - Several 9-1-1 callers reported a brush fire on Highway 299 near the intersection of Hooker Cemetery Road in North Dade County, Georgia.
When the first engine company from North Dade Fire Department arrived on the scene they reported a large brush fire that was already consuming a house. Assistant Chief, Chris Lowrance, of the North Dade Fire Department arrived on the scene within minutes.
Assistant Chief Lowrance said "When I first saw what we had, I had three people here, I knew we needed some help." A call for additional assistance brought engine companies from the Trenton Fire Department, the New Home Fire Department and Georgia Forestry. Firefighters were quick to respond, arriving with additional equipment and manpower within 10 minutes of the call.
The brush fire was moving rather fast toward another home as well as several antique cars on a neighboring property. Neighbors were working franticly attempting to use chains and ropes to pull the cars out of the path of the fire. Luckily a mutual aid company from New Home Fire Department arrived on the back side of the fire near the cars. Lieutenant Dusty Lancaster was driving that fire engine and he quickly pulled an inch and 3/4 hose line of the truck. Lieutenant Lancaster used that hose line to start extinguishing the fire near the cars.
It took crews nearly an hour and a half to completely extinguish the blaze. Unfortunately by the time the fire was out it had destroyed a house, five cars, a storage building, a storage trailer and over three acres of property. One person was also checked out for some minor burns by paramedics with Hutcheson EMS. Assistant Chief Chris Lowrance said "As far as brush fires go, lately this is probably the worst we've had."
Witnesses at the scene said the fire was started by somebody burning trash in a ditch line near the house that was burned in the blaze. Fire officials are still investigating the cause. It could be several days before an exact dollar amount of the damage is available.
