Fire totals in Hall ahead of last year

GAINESVILLE - The number of fires is Hall County so far this year is running well ahead of a year ago.

Fire marshal Scott Cagle says at the current rate the county will end the year with 338 more fires than last year when 626 were recorded.

Sixty-eight of those have been structural fires and 71 have been grass and woods blazes.

Cagle cites the continued growth of Hall County and says the leading cause of residential fires is kitchen fires resulting from cooking.

Cagle offered the following breakdown of fire calls this year compared to the past three years:

2004