Firefighters respond to two Barrow County fires

Public Information Officer Lt. Scott Dakin in a press release wrote that emergency services officers received a 911 call early Thursday reporting the barn fire in the area of Parker Road and Highway 211. Upon arrival of firefighters, crews found heavy smoke coming from a barn near the intersection. Firefighters found a tractor fully involved in fire inside the barn. Two fire engines responded from Statham and from Winder fire stations, as well as an ambulance and an administrative vehicle from Station One in Statham.

According to Dakin, firefighters made an effective attack on the fire and were able to control the flames before they could extend to the barn the tractor was parked in.

The second fire was reported at 5:21 p.m. Friday afternoon in the 700 block of Dee Kennedy Road. Fire engines from Auburn and Winder responded to the call, along with an ambulance from the Highway 211 fire station in Winder. Firefighters found smoke in the home and located the fire in the kitchen. Prior to their arrival, the resident had already extinguished the majority of the fire. Firefighters removed the smoke from the home and hot embers that remained on the stove.

“This was the result of unattended cooking,” wrote Dakin, in the release. “We want to remind citizens that when they are cooking they need to remain in the kitchen. Cooking is the leading cause of house fires in America, by staying in the kitchen and watching the food we can greatly reduce the number of fires.”