HomeMy Public PortalAboutCOTI_PR20190624_Fire.docxPRESS RELEASE CONTACT: Shawn Gillen
For Immediate Release City Manager
(912) 472-5070
sgillen@cityoftybee.org
Major Fire on Tybee Island
Tybee Island, Ga. – (June 24, 2019) On Saturday, June 22, at approximately 4:30 PM, a fire was started by a lightning strike at 3 Marsh Creek Cove on Tybee Island. The fire started in
the attic of the structure. Fire damage was in the attic space, while water and smoke damage throughout the structure was extensive. The unit next door also sustained water and spoke
damage.
Tybee Fire responded with Engine 1, Engine 2, a ladder truck and rescue truck 6. A total of 8 Tybee Firefighters responded, four of whom were volunteers. With one firefighter taking
command and two volunteers setting up a rehab station and filling air bottles, five firefighters were available to attack the fire. Due to the difficulty reaching the fire and the increasing
heat Savannah and Chatham County Fire Departments as well as Chatham County EMS were requested. All departments responded quickly and stayed on scene until the fire was extinguished.
Due to on-going construction, crews could not gain access to the full attic area, so firefighters pulled sheetrock from the ceiling and extinguished the fire.
No one was home at the time of the fire. The neighbor’s smoke detector sounded, and when the family went outside, they noticed smoke from the neighboring unit. The houses were separated
by a firewall.
About Tybee Island, GA.: The City of Tybee Island, Georgia is on the outermost barrier island off the Savannah area coast. With a wild bird sanctuary, over three miles of ocean beaches,
and salt marshes on the back river, outdoor recreation activities abound for visitors to the island. As a key defense point to the important Savannah port, Tybee’s Fort Screven, Tybee
Post Theater, Fort Pulaski, and the Tybee Island and Cockspur Lighthouses combine with the unique architectures of the island’s raised cottages to form a rich backdrop for history buffs.
Attracting a strong artistic community, there are several local supporting art galleries. Keeping the island interesting year round are several arts festivals, the Annual Pirate Fest,
the Beach Bum Parade, St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the Beach Bash, and the Christmas Parade, as well as fireworks displays on Independence and New Year’s Days off the Walter W. Parker
Pier and Pavilion. The Marine Science Center cooperates with Georgia’s DNR to protect threatened sea turtle species by searching for nests, protecting their eggs, and making sure hatchlings
make it to the sea. For visitor information, stop by http://www.tybeevisit.com/, and to find more about the City of Tybee Island, visit our web site at http://www.cityoftybee.org/.
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