A wind-fed fire, trees blocking roads, power outages and a couple of weather-related accidents had public safety responders busy Wednesday night, but Bulloch County escaped any major damage from the strong line of storms that raked across Georgia.
    A woods fire on Jerusalem Church Road in the Leefield area had Bulloch County firefighters battling a blaze that threatened structures around 8:30 Wednesday night, with calls in to Bulloch County Central 911 reporting wind-fed flames “30 to 40 feet high,” according to reports over the radio by operators.
    Bulloch County firefighters responded to the fire, which had originally “been a controlled burn where they were clearing some land,” Bulloch County Fire Chief Christopher Ivey said.
    The fire was under control until heavy wind gusts fanned the blaze, he said. It is yet unclear whether the property owner secured a burn permit.
    Charges can be filed in cases where no permit is issued.
    “Burn permits are free and you get them by calling the Forestry Commission,” Ivey said.
    The Georgia Forestry Commission responded to the scene and worked with firefighters for some time to control the fire, using two bulldozers, but soon a squall came through the area, dousing the blaze.
    “The rain came just at the right time,” said Bulloch County Public Safety Director Ted Wynn, who was out patrolling the county during the storm. “It was really perfect timing.”
    Ivey said the fire could have posed a grave danger and possibly consumed structures had the storm not brought rain.
    The cold front “came through with a vengeance last night,” Wynn said Thursday. Bulloch County personnel were prepared for the worst after an afternoon of violent weather elsewhere in the state. The county was spared major damage
    “The winds got really strong here early in the evening bringing down trees and blocking a number of roads,” he said.
    Roads blocked by downed trees included Georgia Highway 46 at Lake Church Road near Metter; Kennedy Bridge Road at Wigfall Road; Georgia Highway 67 at Joe Hodges Hill near the intersection of Burkhalter and Harville roads; Lakeview Road between Old River and Clito roads; and roads in the Saddle Creek subdivision.
    A trampoline was blown onto the road on U.S. Highway 280 outside Daisy. Other roads blocked included Highway 46 between Highway 67 and Nevils Daisy Road, Old Happy Road, Adabell Road, E.C. Hendrix Road and Highway 67 at Anderson Cemetery Road, Wynn said. 
    Bulloch County Central 911 handles calls for Candler and Evans counties as well.
    “There were a couple of roads blocked in the cities (Statesboro, Register, Portal and Brooklet) from trees and debris,” he said.  “There were also some power outages scattered throughout the county.”
    The Bulloch County fire department, sheriff’s deputies, transportation workers, Bulloch County Correctional Institute staff and inmates, police and public works officials were out most of the evening dealing with trees over roadways, Wynn said.
    No injuries were reported in Bulloch despite a few traffic accidents, including one man who struck a downed tree on Old River Road.
   
    Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at (912) 489-9414.