Firefighters throughout Emanuel County have been very busy recently. Swainsboro Fire Department alone responded to 30 calls from March 7-13. Of those 30, 12 were fires – 3 structure fires, 1 major incident and 8 brush fires. The remaining 18 calls were for wrecks, medical assisting EMS, alarms and public assistance.
“The guys and girls here at SFD showed up and showed out, as did the county personnel and volunteer firefighters. We have a tight knit crew in this county for sure,” said Lt. Colby Martin with the Swainsboro Fire Department.
Clubhouse on Quick Road Destroyed by Fire
A Tuesday afternoon, fire destroyed a family clubhouse on Quick Road, leaving the owners with significant sentimental loss. Swainsboro Fire Department received the call at 2:31 p.m. on March 10 reporting a structure fire at 108 Quick Road, the property of Joey and Katherine Crapps. Firefighters from Swainsboro, Twin City, and Oak Park responded, with the first units arriving at 2:37 p.m.
The building was fully engulfed when firefighters reached the scene. Surrounding the clubhouse were a horse trailer, a concession trailer, and a 100 gallon gas tank. Fire crews were able to protect the nearby structures, though the horse trailer sustained heat damage.
“This has been devastating for all of us. This is where we held our family gatherings. We still have the memories, but we lost a lot of stuff that was so sentimental to all of us,” said Katherine.
“The clubhouse was a special place for us. We had things in there that can’t be replaced – things we were going to pass down to our grandchildren that had been passed down to us,” added Joey.
It took approximately an hour to bring the fire under control. “We hate they lost that one building, but we were able to contain the fire to that building and I think that was a success,” stated Lieutenant Allen Farley.
Multi-agency firefighters and rescue workers battle massive fire at Hadden Wrecking
On Wednesday, March 1, what started out as a controlled burn quickly got out of hand at Hadden Wrecking, located on Highway 80 east near Swainsboro. A call was placed to 911 at approximately 3 p.m. Firefighters arrived on scene at 3:10 p.m. When the first units arrived, several vehicles were already on fire. Because of the intensity of the fire, multi-aid was requested.
Units from Swainsboro Fire Department, Twin City Fire Department, Bulloch County Fire Department, Statesboro Fire Department, Metter Fire Department, Treutlen County Fire Department, Dellwood Fire Department, Adrian Fire Department, Oak Park Fire Department, Canoochee Fire Department, Norristown Fire Department, Georgia Department of Corrections Inmate Crews from Johnson County responded, along with helicopters to spot fire and drop water.
Others who responded included Emanuel County Sheriff’s Department, Swainsboro Police Department, Bulloch County CAFE Team, Bulloch VOAD, American Red Cross, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Transportation, Georgia Forestry, and countless other volunteers.
The fire was contained around 11 p.m. but several firefighters stayed through the night to make certain everything was under control.
Charles Hadden, owner of Hadden Wrecking, stated they were issued a burn permit for two large piles of limbs where they had been clearing some land behind the salvage yard.
“This has been a nightmare for everybody involved. I lost about 3,000 cars in the fire but nobody was injured and I am so thankful for that,” said Hadden. “I also want to thank every person who had a part in getting the fire contained - from every responding firefighter, law enforcement officer, volunteer or anyone else involved.”
Fatal house fire on William Rountree St.
A house fire on Friday, March 13 resulted in one fatality despite rapid response from multiple agencies. Swainsboro Fire Department was dispatched after a 911 call reported smoke coming from a residence on William Rountree Road. Firefighters arrived at 9:37 p.m., with Twin City and Dellwood departments also responding.
The call was placed by the victim’s wife, who had just returned home and discovered smoke. She informed dispatchers that her husband was still inside.
Upon arrival, Firefighter Mark Wiggins geared up and entered the residence, locating and removing the victim within approximately two and a half minutes. First responders immediately began CPR and continued lifesaving efforts, but the victim succumbed to his injuries later that evening.
Fire crews brought the blaze under control at 10:19 p.m. Firefighters remained on scene until 4 a.m. with the fire investigator to assess damage and search for a cause.
“We would like to thank Dellwood and Twin City Fire for their quick response on scene,” stated Lt. Allen Farley and Lt. Colby Martin. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time.”
