DILLARD — Just after midnight, Rabun County 9-1-1 Dispatch began receiving calls that The Dillard House was on fire. Instead, it was a storage building on the property that was engulfed in flames.
Social media posts ran rampant as rumors began to spread that landmark The Dillard House had burned to the ground.
The storage facility had been home to lawnmowers, chainsaws and other grounds-keeping equipment, some of which were filled with gasoline, which only fueled the fire, according to Rabun County Assistant Fire Chief Justin Upchurch.
Multiple agencies assisted Rabun County Fire Department, including Franklin, N.C., that brought brought along with them a ladder truck which was used to help extinguish the fire.
Upchurch said because the building had been burned down to the concrete foundation and nothing was left supporting the walls, a precautionary action was taken to ensure firefighters remained safe by remaining on the outside of the building only.
After a few hours of work, multiple departments successfully extinguished the fire.
Nearby Dillard City Hall received minor damage as well.
Two utility trucks located next to the maintenance facility also received some damage.
Louise Dillard, owner of The Dillard House, told WRBN/WGHC News in the early hours Wednesday morning how fortunate she was that everyone was safe and minimal damage was inflicted thanks to the work of the fire department.
“I am so incredibly thankful to have such wonderful firefighters and all of their volunteers who bravely fought this fire and prevented any further damage,” she said. “I don’t think the people of Rabun County understand how thankful we are to have them.”
Rabun County Sheriff's Department and the Georgia State Fire Marshal's Office are investigating to determine the cause of the fire.
