Details released on Sunday fire near Clarkesville

CLARKESVILLE – Personnel from nine Habersham County fire stations responded to a house fire on Daniel Road west of Clarkesville Sunday afternoon.

“We got the call about 1:30,” said Habersham County Fire Department Lt. Matt Ruark. “Station 11s [Fairfield] and 13 [Habersham] were dispatched to a fire in the attic. The first units on scene encountered heavy smoke and fire coming from the roof of the house.”

The home was located between Georgia Highway 17 and Panacea Drive.

“We were able to get a quick attack on the fire, but due to lack of personnel and not having a positive water supply, we weren’t able to keep that up,” Ruark said.

Firefighters were able to establish a positive water supply from a hydrant, necessitating the closure of Daniel Road. Personnel from Habersham Volunteers In Police Service shut down the road to all but fire department personnel.

“Heat was a very big issue,” Ruark said. “All the personnel that were coming out that were initially there were coming out to rehab and having to take a break due to blood pressures and heart rates being up since it was a heat index of right at 100. That left us short on personnel.”

In addition to stations 11 and 13, Station 3 (Clarkesville Fire Department), Station 5 (Demorest Fire Department), and Habersham County stations 9 (Deep Creek), 14 (Glade Creek), 15 (Macedonia) and 16 (Amy’s Creek) were called, as was the Lee Arrendale State Prison Fire Team.

“The biggest reason that many stations were dispatched was for water, because we weren’t sure about the hydrant right there, and we were possibly going to need trucks for a water shuttle – and personnel, of course, as always,” Ruark said.

A tanker from Station 15 was used to shuttle some water to the scene. That truck had to back from the fire scene to Highway 17 before heading to another hydrant to fill up.

“Nine stations on a 2,000-s.f. house,” Ruark said. “That’s one thing I can say about the county is all the departments work together well, and it went good for what it was.”

Ruark said the house appeared to be a total loss. The residents of the home have been displaced on account of the blaze, but nothing further is known at this time.

“If it wasn’t fire, it was heat or water damage,” he said.

During the firefighting effort, a small propane cylinder exploded, but no one was hurt.

Firefighters were on scene for about two and one-half hours.