CLAYTON — A final community meeting regarding the Rock Mountain Fire in Rabun and Towns counties and part of North Carolina was held Monday night in Clayton.
Jason Engle, acting district ranger for the Chattooga Ranger District, commended the Rabun County community for their support of firefighters since the fires began.
"I just want to thank this community," Engle said. "You guys have been great. I've heard from everyone I've ever talked to. This is probably the best place I've ever been as far as community goes. It's so supportive, so friendly. You could hardly go to the coffee shop without someone buying your coffee. You guys have been wonderful."
The good news is the 24,725-acre fire is 95 percent contained and has not grown in size since Nov. 28.
A Burn Area Emergency Response Team will arrive mid-week to begin assessing the fire's impact on resources.
Since the flame height was classified as mostly moderate, the burned area likely will recover fairly quickly, Engle said.
Incident Commander Steven Parrish said the fire is one for the books.
"This is a historic event," Parrish said. "This is an event that, to some that work here, they won't experience another event like this maybe in their career in this particular location. What the community has been part of is history."
The cost of the firefighting effort is roughly $11 million so far, with all that money coming from federal coffers, officials said.
Parrish echoed what Engle and others said about the community support of firefighters, from providing a turkey dinner for firefighters on Thanksgiving to paying for firefighters' meals in restaurants.
"I have never felt the community appreciation that we have experienced here in this community," Parrish said. "Y'all welcomed every one of us into your families during this, and it is tremendously appreciated and will be a memorable event for all the folks that were here. There were 640 folks here at one time and I guarantee you most of them that are home now are telling their families about the love and support that this community showed them during this event."
Those who want to continue to follow wildfire information updates can do so on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChattOconeeNF, on Twitter @ChattOconee, online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/conf, or by calling the forest fire information line at (470) 202-8844.
