Ten departments battle trout farm blaze

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  • Fire raged through the lodge at Andy’s Trout Farm on Thursday, May 7. It took crews from 10 fire departments, from across two counties, nearly three hours to extinguish the blaze.
    Fire raged through the lodge at Andy’s Trout Farm on Thursday, May 7. It took crews from 10 fire departments, from across two counties, nearly three hours to extinguish the blaze.
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Fire ripped through a Macon County business in the evening hours of Thursday, May 7.

Ten fire departments from two states spent nearly three hours battling a blaze at Andy’s Trout Farm in Otto, according to information provided by the Macon County Emergency Services office.

According to the computer aided dispatch report, a call came in to 911 at 5:29 p.m. and the caller reported the garage at the trout farm was on fire and there were fuel hazards nearby.

By the time firefighters arrived on scene the building was fully involved in flames as was the adjacent business. According to the CAD report, the fire was officially contained at 7:43 p.m. and overhaul operations began at 8:21 p.m.

Both structures were a total loss.

“The cause and origin of the fire are currently under investigation by the Macon County Fire Marshal’s Office, Macon County Sheriff’s Office and the NC State Bureau of Investigation,” fire marshal Jimmy Teem said in a written statement. 

Along with Otto, crews from Scaly Mountain, Clarks Chapel, Franklin, West Macon and Macon County Squad 4 responded to the scene. Additional assistance was provided by Rabun County Fire Departments 1, 5 and 6 along with the Rabun County Fire Service.

According to Teem, the American Red Cross was called in to assist the 10 residents of the trout farm who have been displaced by the fire.