Lee Trawick
Reporter2@riverbendnews.org
On Wednesday, Dec. 7 at approximately 5:49 p.m. Suwannee County Fire Rescue (SCFR) was dispatched to a structure fire on County Road 417. Station One, Station Two, Station Five and Wellborn Volunteer Fire Station 51 responded.
According to Suwannee County Fire Chief Eddie Hand, upon arriving on scene at 6:05 p.m., it was determined the structure in question was residential. With the first responding team on scene, first responders determined no one was inside the home at the time of the fire. Subsequently, Chief Hand stated the fire had been burning for quite some time before neighbors realized what was going on. Therefore, as the firefighters made entry into the structure, they determined it was a total loss of the interior. However, the structure itself was able to be salvaged. Chief Hand explained the reason for the fire was accidental due to an overloaded extension cord inside the residence.
The firefighters were able to extinguish the flames and take all precautionary measures to ensure they would not spark back up. The firefighters were able to exit the scene and be back in service for further calls at approximately 7:46 p.m.
Chief Hand stated he was pleased with his departments' response time and the efforts they made in their initial assessment to ensure no one was in the home or injured due to the fire, as well as with how diligently everyone worked as a single unit despite so many responding stations, all the while maintaining their own safety. He went on to give praise to the Wellborn Volunteer Station 51 for their quick response and assistance as well.