Photo by: B. Dunham

GCFD Volunteer Hendley insures that no personnel are in the fallout area of the aerial apparatus, LT-1.

Photo by: B. Dunham

Firefighters muster at the rear of LT-1 to receive additional instructions.

Photo by: B. Dunham

LT-1's ladder ascends up into and above  the smoke.  Personnel in the platform have a clear vantage point from above the low lying smoke.

Photo by: B. Dunham

Personnel check in at LT-1's pump panel as they arrive on location.

JEKYLL ISLAND, GA -- At approximately 9:17pm the Jekyll Island Fire Department and Jekyll Island volunteers responded to a structure fire at the Jekyll Inn, 975 Beachview Drive.  The caller advised that they thought that one of their hotel buildings was burning, and that they had their maintenance personnel going to check on it.

Arriving units reported heavy smoke conditions with visibility extremely limited.  Once the source of the smoke was located and a water supply secured personnel began pulling lines to battle the blaze which had, by this time, broken through the roof of the structure.  While Jekyll’s personnel deployed hand lines and a deluge gun their officer in charge asked for the dispatcher to request mutual aid from the County.

The Glynn County Fire Department was dispatched to respond to a mutual aid call to assist the Jekyll Island Fire Department with a structure fire.  At the same time the Brunswick Fire department also had an engine standing by to respond if needed.

Glynn-Brunswick 911 dispatch advised that the Jekyll Inn was on fire and that the Jekyll Island Fire Department was requesting mutual aid to assist their personnel.  The Glynn County Fire Department responded an ambulance, engine, one aerial piece, tactical support truck and the Ballard volunteers.  The City of Brunswick sent an engine from their station 1 to assist.  Glynn County Fire Chief Thomas was also notified and responded to Glynn County Fire Department headquarters to cover the remainder of the county while Deputy Chief Ellis was on Jekyll.

As County units arrived on scene the decision was made that Ladder Tower-1 would be deployed to knock down the fire.  As personnel cleared a way for LT-1 to access the structure Glynn County engine 6 established a water supply for the apparatus.  LT-1 arrived, moved into position, and was rapidly deployed by department personnel.  Once in place, and with a water supply secured, LT-1's crew was able to maneuver the platform into position and extinguish the majority of the fire, leaving only isolated hotspots for ground crews to extinguish.

Jekyll Fire Department spokesman David Smith stated that the fire caused an estimated $300,000.00 to $400,000.00 damage to four of the six units in the building.  Jekyll Fire Department personnel stayed at the scene until about midnight and returned Wednesday morning to monitor the scene.  Smith also stated that there were no injuries as a result of the incident and that the cause of the fire is under investigation.