A brush fire that tore through about a third of an acre of the Vickery Creek recreation area in Roswell may have been caused by fireworks, officials said.
The flames started just upstream from the Roswell Mill dam, which is part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Roswell fire department said. Firebreaks were quickly established to prevent the blaze from spreading and the fire was extinguished by about 9:30 p.m.
Officials were called to the scene after reports of heavy smoke coming from the park. Due to the steep terrain in the area of the blaze, a Georgia Department of Natural Resources helicopter was utilized to drop buckets of water atop the flames.
A preliminary investigation led by the National Park Service revealed that the “negligent and illegal use of fireworks within the park was what started the fire,” NPS Chief Ranger Jeston Fisher said. A fountain-style firework was found at the location where the blaze is suspected to have started, he added.
The use of fireworks inside the park is prohibited and carries a steep fine and up to one year in jail, according to Fisher. Anyone found responsible for starting a fire in the park can also be charged with restitution to cover the cost of extinguishing the flames.
No one was injured in the fire.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area at 678-538-1200.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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