September 2019 Fires
During the Month of September Savannah Fire Rescue responded to 603 service calls, including 64 fires, 237 emergency medical service and other incident calls, 55 hazardous condition calls, 32 public service calls, 69 smoke scare calls, and 146 false alarms. Of the 64 fires, 15 were structure fires. Below is a detailed summary of the structure fires and other notable calls for service:
September 1, 2019
7:17 p.m.
Gas Leak, 412 San Anton Dr.
Firefighters were dispatched to a gas leak outside a residence. The homeowner said her husband was clearing grass and weeds around the house. The gas meter beside the house made it difficult to reach the weeds. He assumed he could remove it because they don’t have any gas appliances. He pulled the meter out of the ground and cut the line. Firefighters stood by until the gas company mitigated the issue.
September 1, 2019
10:17 p.m.
Elevator Rescue, 321 W. Bay St.
Firefighters responded a call for an elevator rescue at the Hilton Garden Inn and removed two people from a stalled elevator on the 5th floor.
September 2, 2019
2:25 p.m.
Arching Power Line, 207 McLaws St.
Firefighters were dispatched to an arching power line. They found two tree limbs had fallen across a power line, causing it to arch. Firefighters secured the area, called for Georgia Power and stood by until the situation was mitigated.
September 2, 2019
5:50 p.m.
Short Circuit, 108 W. Hall.
Firefighters dispatched to a structure fire. Upon arrival they discovered a defective power strip that caused smoke, but no fire. Firefighters ventilated the building and cut power to the room where the short circuit occurred.
September 2, 2019
8:58 p.m.
Heat incident; Oglethorpe Mall, 7804 Abercorn Ext.
Firefighters were dispatched to possible fire at Oglethorpe Mall. Upon their arrival a security guard advised the firefighters that a food warmer in Sakura Restaurant had been left on. Firefighters turned the warmer off and checked for hot spots in the structure before clearing the scene.
September 3, 2019
4:01 p.m.
Elevator Rescue; Savannah Police Station, 602 E. Lathrop Ave.
Firefighters dispatched to an elevator rescue at a police station discovered one person in an elevator car between the first and second floors. Firefighters rescued that person and cut power to the elevator.
September 4, 2019
10:17 a.m.
Arching Power Line, Benton Blvd & Spring Lakes Drive.
Firefighters were dispatched to an arching power line in the Spring Lakes Subdivision. They found a tree leaning against a power line. Firefighters secured the area, called for Georgia Power and stood by until the situation was mitigated.
September 5, 2019
3:20 a.m.
Fire; Gannam, Gnann & Steinmetz, 425-A E. President St.
Savannah Fire Rescue extinguished an attic fire at the law offices of Gannam, Gnann & Steinmetz, located at 425 E. President St.
September 5, 2019
1:24 p.m.
Gas Leak; Chippewa Square, 230 Bull Street
Firefighters were dispatched to the smell of gas in the area of Chippewa Square. They discovered a leaking gas lamp at 230 Bull Street. Firefighters cut the gas line to the lamp.
September 5, 2019
5:14 p.m.
Public Service; Austin House, 14 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Savannah Fire was dispatched to conduct a public service at a transitional housing facility. A resident had locked herself out with something on the stove. The manager with the extra keys had evacuated due to the hurricane and could not be reached. Firefighters cut a small hole in the sheet rock to access the door lock. Inside the apartment they discovered clothing and dyer sheets boiling in a pot on the stove. Firefighters explained the dangers related to her actions.
September 5, 2019
8:41 p.m.
Fire; Ardens Place Apartments, 9610 White Bluff, Rd.
Savannah Fire Rescue was dispatched to a kitchen fire at an apartment complex. The blaze began with a pot on the stove and quickly spread. Fast acting firefighters prevented the blaze from extending to neighboring apartments. A total of four people were displaced. The two residents of the apartment were displaced by smoke and fire damage. One of them was treated on scene for minor smoke inhalation. Two residents in the apartment below were displaced by water damage.
September 7, 2019
12:41 a.m.
Trash Fire; Embassy Suites at the Savannah Airport, 145 Mulberry Blvd.
Firefighters were dispatched to a high rise fire alarm at a hotel. The residents were sheltered in a safe place while firefighters responded. They discovered a small fire in a kitchen storage closet. The sprinkler head had activated. The fire was contained to cardboard boxes filled with plastic cups inside the storage closet. Firefighters extinguished the fire, ventilated the building and turned off the sprinkler system. The fire marshal was called to investigate.
September 7, 2019
10:34 a.m.
Trash Truck Fire, 7720 Waters Ave.
Firefighters happened upon a trash truck with heavy smoke coming from the trash collection compartment. They extinguished the blaze.
September 7, 2019
7:54 p.m.
Storage Container Fire; Peace Global Logistics, 2824 Tremont Rd
Savannah Fire Rescue was dispatched to a fire at Peace Global Logistics. Firefighters discovered a fuel storage fire as well as burning scrap vehicles in a salvage yard. They acted quickly to extinguish the blaze. No one was injured and no hazardous materials were spilled.
September 8, 2019
5:13 p.m.
School Bus Fire; Woodville Tompkins High, 150 Coach, Joe Turner St.
Firefighters were dispatched to a school bus fire. Firefighters arrived on scene and extinguished a fire in a parked school bus. Arson investigators were called to the scene.
September 9, 2019
7:41 p.m.
Grass Fire, 1230 E. 39th St.
Firefighters were dispatched to a fire. They discovered branches on a power line behind a home. The branches were smoldering and the fire had spread to a nearby palm tree. Georgia Power was called to repair the line and firefighters extinguished the blaze.
September 12, 2019
3:20 p.m.
Cooking Fire, 1011 Cubbedge
Firefighters responded to a fire at a residence. They extinguished a cooking fire. The fire was contained to the pot on the stove, but there was heavy smoke. The resident had a panic attack and was treated on scene. Two puppies were removed from the smoke filled home and firefighters ventilated the structure.
September 13, 2019
9:37 a.m.
Trash Fire; DFCS, 761 Wheaton St.
Units responded to an open area fire. They discovered a person in a homeless camp burning debris in a barrel. The person was advised of the City’s no burn ordinance and firefighters extinguished the blaze.
September 13, 2019
6:27 p.m.
Malicious False Alarm; The Olde Pink House Restaurant, 23 Abercorn St.
Savannah Fire responded to a fire alarm at the Pink House Restaurant. They discovered that an unhappy patron had pulled the fire alarm. Firefighters reset the alarm system.
September 14, 2019
7:41 a.m.
Structure Fire, Mint Car Wash, 1000 Abercorn St.
Savannah Fire Rescue was dispatched to a fire in a car wash storeroom. Firefighters discovered smoke and flames coming from an electrical box. They used a chemical extinguisher to put out the fire and cut power to the building.
September 14, 2019
1:33 p.m.
Public Service, 131 Arusha Ave.
Savannah Firefighters were approached by a citizen requesting help with a situation at his property in the Coffee Point Subdivision. He said a worker was trapped in the attic. Firefighters discovered that someone had used two by four boards to nail the attic door shut. Firefighters pried off the boards and freed the worker.
September 15, 2019
12:19 a.m.
Equipment Fire, K Machine Industrial Services, 4526 Ogeechee Rd.
Firefighters were dispatched to a fire at a warehouse. They discovered smoke coming from a 40-foot steel crane at the rear of the structure. A part of the crane had undergone repairs, which required it to be heated to 1600 degrees. However, the heat ignited oil and grease residue inside the crane part, which caused a fire. Firefighters used water to cool the crane part and checked for ignitable vapors.
September 16, 2019
11:01 a.m.
Locked Car Rescue; Savannah Mall, 14045 Abercorn St.
Firefighters from Engine 11 were leaving the gym when they heard a cry for help in the parking lot. A woman had locked her keys and her 9-month old baby in the car. The infant was in a car seat and had been locked inside for five to 10 minutes. Firefighters noticed that the infant was sweating profusely and in distress. Firefighters received the mother’s permission to break a window and unlock the door. The child was rescued without injury.
September 20, 2019
7:16 a.m.
Fire, 316 E. 33rd St.
Firefighters responded to a fire at a residence. They discovered a smoking outlet. Power to the room was cut and a small fire was discovered on the exterior and inside the wall. Firefighters used a watering can to extinguish the blaze. The fire appears to have started outside the structure on wooden siding in an area littered by cigarette butts. The resident said he discards his cigarettes there.
September 20, 2019
8:49 p.m.
Vehicle Extrication, 1313 Montgomery St.
Firefighters were called to the scene of an incident with a person trapped beneath a vehicle. Firefighters used air bags to lift the vehicle, then extracted the victim. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
September 21, 2019
1:09 p.m.
Fire, 300 Block of W. Waldburg
Firefighters extinguished a blaze that displaced 17 people and impacted 8 structures and a car. The fire appears to have started from a malfunctioning air conditioning unit. No humans were injured, but four cats were unaccounted for. Of the 17 displaced people – three lived in the duplex units, two lived in apartments at 311 Waldburg, 10 were staying in a vacation rental at 313 Waldburg and two lived in the house at 317 Waldburg. The Red Cross was called to the scene to provide assistance.
September 21, 2019
3:52 p.m.
Vehicle Extrication, 12056 Abercorn
Savannah Fire units responded to a vehicle accident with entrapment. Firefighters discovered a two car accident with one car flipped on its side. Crash victims in both cars required medical attention. One had to be extricated.
September 22, 2019
1:29 p.m.
Shed Fire, 18 Palm Ave.
Savannah Fire units responded to the report of a fire. They discovered a shed at the rear of a home on fire. They quickly extinguished the shed. No one was injured or displaced.
September 22, 2019
6:01 p.m.
Shed Fire, 416 W. 63rd St.
Savannah Fire responded to the report of a fire. They discovered a suspicious fire in a shed at a vacant building and extinguished it.
September 22, 2019
6:19 p.m.
Public Service, 562 Yamacraw Village
Firefighters were called to assist a mother who had been accidentally locked out of the house by a small child. Firefighters popped open a window to enter the structure and unlock the door. Nothing was damaged and no one was injured.
September 22, 2019
8:28 p.m.
Public Service; Savannah Commons, 1 Peachtree Dr.
Savannah Fire Rescue was dispatched to the Savannah Commons Retirement Community to assist a woman who had run off the sidewalk in her electric wheel chair and become stuck in a mulch-filled flower bed. Firefighters lifted the chair onto the side walk.
September 24, 2019
3:16 p.m.
Gas Leak; Savannah Police Headquarters, 201 Habersham St.
Savannah Fire Rescue responded to the report of a gas leak outside Savannah Police Headquarters. Workers struck a gas line while installing fiber optic cables. Firefighters sheltered police personnel in a safe place, established a safe zone and monitored the air while gas company crews mitigated the issue.
September 24, 2019
10:35 p.m.
Carbon Monoxide Incident; Star Dance Company, 302 E. Henry St.
Firefighters were dispatched to the Star Dance Company after a local hospital emergency room reported receiving patients from that location with carbon monoxide poisoning. Firefighters detected unsafe levels of carbon monoxide in the dance studio through a mail slot in the door. Levels in the surrounding apartments were acceptable.
The key holder arrived on scene and unlocked the studio. Firefighters ventilated the structure. They discovered that the building did not have gas or electric power. But the key holder had backed her truck up to the building, connected extension cords to it and used it to power fans and speakers.
September 25, 2019
9:06 a.m.
Fire, 251 Tulip St.
Savannah Fire was dispatched to a structure fire. Firefighters discovered a blaze in a boarded up house and quickly extinguished it. No one was injured or displaced.
September 25, 2019
9:22 a.m.
Structure Fire, 1032 Demmond St.
Firefighters rescued a Chihuahua mix dog from a burning house and extinguished the blaze. The dog quickly recovered, but the homeowner was overcome with emotion after arriving on scene. She was treated by EMS. The house sustained extensive fire damage. The resident and her dog were displaced.
September 25, 2019
5:36 p.m.
Locked Car Rescue, 101 Mulberry Blvd.
Firefighters rescued a 6-year-old girl with special needs from a locked car. They gently pried the car door from the roof, then reached in with a tool to remove the car keys. No one was injured.
September 29, 2019
8:21 p.m.
Vehicle Extrication, East Broad and E. Broughton streets
Firefighters responded to a two-car accident with an entrapment. Firefighters extricated an injured person from a red Ford Focus. The crash victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.