Building Catches Fire on LaPrade’s Property on Lake Burton

By Charles Robertson, WRBN Radio, Clayton

Nobody was injured in a fire earlier this week at a well-known spot on Lake Burton.

Crews from Stations 3, 10, 11, and 12 in Rabun County fought a blaze at LaPrade’s workshop on Lake Burton for hours Wednesday.

Rabun County Fire Chief Daniel Johnson said personnel were quick to the scene after receiving the call at 11:48 a.m. Wednesday.

Johnson said crews fought the fire and hotspots for around 4 hours.

“It was just a commercial building and it was very hard to put out. It had a lot of hidden spaces,” said Johnson.

He went on to say that the lake itself proved very useful in fighting the fire.

“We used the lake as the only water source, and we laid a line from the engine that was fighting the fire straight to the lake down the boat ramp, and Engine 12 did that. They set up draft in the lake and we had plenty of water,” said Johnson.

Meanwhile, Johnson said investigators on scene were able to determine a cause for the fire.

“Yeah we found a cause. The cause was combustible material stored to close to the wood heater, and we investigate all fires, that’s just the way we do it,” said Johnson.

While no injuries were reported from the scene, the building is said to have suffered major damage.