Oconee fire! Victoria Station and Broadlands

[roadranger]

Grass fire attended to by several depts. Multi-alarm fire in the area of Victoria Station Sub., off Broadlands Dr., and Simonton Bridge Rd. Police and fire were dispatched before 5:30PM today, to a grass fire in one of our respected neighborhoods. They could not immediatly access the area, due to a long, broken down train, on a line that stretched from Athens to Farmington, Ga. At this point, the grass fire was presumed to be started by a line down, since the FF alerted that they colud not extinguish the blaze until Ga Power arrived (later assisted by Walton EMC.) Once the engineer discovered how to seperate the train, the fire teams quicky accessed the few acres ablaze. The fire was attacked from both the Broadlands side and the Victoria Station side of the tracks. Keeping the blaze at a minimum, stuctures were kept out of harms way.
Fortunatly, having working in the area lately on my regular job as a Sales/Driver, I knew well how the neighborhoods have changed. I called the wife back to my side, and left her with my daughter. I fled to the scene, listening, and assesed the area for changes in roads, and relayed them to the nearest Vol. Firefighter. I hope there was enough info passed. There was and old driveway that left a dead end street, that went out to the rail line, and turned left, and followed the line back towards Athens, before crossing to the right of the tracks, just before the river tressell. Two reletively new houses are built back there. Lately, a new part of the subdivision was built, which cut off the private drive at Rossiter Ct., but the builder added the drive within the new section. I ran into the home owners of the two homes on the private drive. I informed them of the already noted incident. I think that I bumped into one on his way home before the meeting on the tracks. Anyway, I felt that I should inform the immediate Co. officers in the area of the changes. Seemed to help, a little.
They managed to contain the fire within a few minutes, and managed to get a Brush Truck stuck, either by backing it down the line, or somewhere in the undergrowth, along side. Forestry Services attempted to pull out the truck, but instead they got their Dozer stuck! I guess the next Dozer to arrive to assist, helped more by pulling, than fighting fires.
Lots of neighbors wre scattered abroad, checking on each other. It looked like a small disaster area.
The photo dates are wrong. I dropped the batteries out the bottom of the camera, (darn trap door) and didn't take the time to reset the dates.
New note at time of edit: Firefighters have returned due to scene because of flare up near two houses on private drive, up line Eastward, towards Athens. Resident reports tree catching fire.