Ware County firefighters were busy the last day of January responding to calls brought on by downed power lines.
According to Ware County Fire Chief Dee Meadows, many of problems Saturday, January 31, were the result of power lines being downed by high winds brought by Winter Storm Gianna, which also contributed to weekend power outages.
One significant fire occurred at McDaniel’s House of Rust on U.S. Hwy. 1/Memorial Drive. Meadows stated the fire was triggered by a power line arcing, with the sparks igniting the grass and the spreading of the fire by the wind.
No one was hurt, and the main structure was preserved, but several of the older cars on the property were unfortunately burned, Meadows said, Georgia Forestry aided in the effort by creating fire breaks helping keep the fire contained to the property, he said.
Fire crews were forced to contend with the cold weather hampering their efforts by freezing hose nozzles.
Additionally, other fires were being reported at the same time, requiring crew members to be dispatched elsewhere in the county.
“I urge people not to burn,” Meadows said, emphasizing how dangerous current weather conditions are. He emphasized waiting for a significant amount of rain, “not just an afternoon shower,” before any burning.
He went on to thank the City of Waycross, Georgia Forestry, 9-1-1 dispatchers, Ware County EMS, and volunteer firefighters for their help in combatting the blazes.
