Athens firefighters respond to house fires during winter storm

By Joe Johnson

Firefighters responded to three house fires Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

No residents or firefighters were injured.

The first fire was on McMinley Drive and was small enough that firefighters were able to put it out with a pressurized water can.

The second, on Winterville Road was more involved and fire suppression crews went into the dwelling to extinguish the flames and also rescue a cat.

The third fire was Sunday morning at a house on Kings Road, off Timothy Road, where it had been sparked by wiring in a crawl space.

The firefighters had also found themselves battling the elements as roadways began icing up.

“”Conditions were becoming challenging when the Winterville Road fire was dispatched,” Athens-Clarke County Fire Marshal Kevin Kierney said, “When crews returned to service after that fire, they installed chains on the apparatus tires.”