Firefighters from throughout White County were called to Yonah Mountain Sunday afternoon to protect homes threatened by a wildfire.
“Firefighters arrived to find a fire moving southeasterly up the ridge from Helen Highway, which posed danger to homes along the Yonah Mountain Road,” said White County Public Safety Director David Murphy. “Units staged at various locations along Yonah Mountain to protect structures, using hand tools and handlines in some instances.”
Murphy said the fire was caused by a malfunctioning flue pipe on a home.
U.S. Forest Service and Georgia Forestry Commission units responded, along with firefighters from White County, Cleveland, Helen, and Lee Arrendale State Prison.
“There were roughly five or six homes threatened up Yonah Mountain Road,” said White County Fire Chief Seth Weaver. “We had crews out with them, actually waiting for the fire to get to them where it was running up the mountain."
Forestry personnel used heavy equipment to plow a break around the fire and also conducted back burns through the evening, Murphy said.
“Fire personnel remained on scene for approximately eight hours, and the fire consumed approximately 25 acres,” Murphy said.
No structures were damaged, and no injuries were reported.
A high fire danger statement had been issued by the National Weather Service earlier in the day.
Weaver said residents need to be mindful of low humidity that allows rapid spread of fire on dry groundcover.
