Flames erupted in the woods near Stone Mountain Park as fire crews scrambled to contain two major brush fires yesterday afternoon. The fires endangered nearby power lines and caused a stir among local residents and park-goers alike. This dramatic scene unfolded near U.S. Route 78 and the 1500 block of Historic View.
DeKalb County Fire Rescue crews were first to respond to the blaze, which began around 12:30 p.m., and were soon joined by the Stone Mountain Park Fire Department and the Gwinnett Fire Department, as well as aiding forces from the Georgia Forestry Commission per reports from FOX 5 Atlanta and Atlanta News First.
Luckily, according to officials no structures faced the threat of the encroaching flames even as firefighters diligently worked to quell the inferno that had engulfed the woodlands north of one of Georgia's most popular attractions with smoke billowing high into the February sky.
The cause of the fire remains a mystery as of the latest reports, and while no serious damage was reported in the immediate aftermath, local authorities haven't yet ruled out any factors that might have sparked the sudden conflagration, the investigation continues, as the community breathes a collective sigh of relief that the situation avoided escalation to a more destructive scale.
