June 8, 2024

(Tybee Island, GA) - The Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion were temporarily closed Saturday afternoon, as emergency personnel battled a large blaze in the nearby dunes.

Around 1:30PM on Saturday, June 8th, Tybee Island Police and Fire personnel responded to the area of the beach near 16th Street in reference to a fire in the dunes. Once on scene, police cleared the pier as a precautionary measure, while firefighters worked to snuff out the flames. The fire, which encompassed approximately 80 square feet of of the dune system, took about 40 minutes to completely extinguish.

The cause of the blaze is undetermined, but witnesses reported hearing a “popping” sound shortly before spotting the first flames. While no one was injured during the fire, a local rattlesnake was temporarily displaced by the blaze, but quickly returned to an untouched area of its habitat before it could be captured.

The Tybee Island Police Department would like to thank all of the First Responders who worked as a team to protect lives and property.