On Feb 23 we had a wildfire on Double Knob Mountain at the fork of Amy Creek Circle and Little Amy Creek Trail.  At around 2:30 pm my husband noticed smoke as he was preparing to go to work.  Gilmer County fire was called and quickly responded along with the forestry service.  Flames were reaching 10-15 feet in the air.  

 

The USFS fire crews quickly called in helicopters from neighboring counties to help drop water from a nearby lake onto the fire to help put it out.  Fire crews used a dozer to create a fire break in attempt to hold back the fire.

 

They worked on the fire for hours and remained on the mountain into the night to watch for hot spots.

 

Ultimately about 10 acres burned. The cause was determined to be faulty wiring at a well.  Had this fire continued and crossed Amy Creek Circle over the creek (which was bone dry) we would have been trapped with no way out and would have needed to shelter in place.

 

This reinforced for me the need for our continued commitment as a firewise community and for continued education in our community.

 

Our community continues to grow and thrive.

 

As we welcome new neighbors we need to be mindful of the continued threat of fire on our mountain. Our best defense is continued education and focusing on landscaping and mitigation.

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Beth Rubio