Fire destroys Mobile Home in Alto 

A possible home heating fire destroyed the home of an elderly woman at 425 Harrison Trail near Alto Monday morning. Habersham County E-911 dispatchers received a call from a neighbor at 7:35am Monday reporting the fire. The caller reported seeing flames and said smoke was coming from the house. Habersham County Emergency Services Engine 12, Med 12, Tanker 13, Battalion 1, and Captain 1 responded, along with Baldwin Fire Department Engine 42 and units from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office. HCES Med 2 also responded to handle rehab. Command on scene requested at 8:22am that Cornelia Fire Department respond for manpower. An investigator from Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King’s Fire Investigations Unit responded to the scene. The fire’s cause is listed as undetermined. A space heater in the home was plugged into a power strip at the time the fire started and cannot be eliminated as a possible source. The female resident and one dog escaped the fire, and the American Red Cross was contacted to assist her with immediate needs. The 30-year-old, single-wide mobile home was destroyed, and the fire claimed the lives of at least two dogs. Units remained on scene until 11:25am.