EASTMAN, Ga. — The city of Eastman has snuffed out the legal fight over a family's home-cooking fire.
This week, Jimmy Joines said city police cited him for having an open fire on his property.
Joines' family has lived in a mobile home for the past year, since lightning struck their home and set it afire, but the city ordinance bans open fires.
Joines said he challenged the Eastman officer to ticket him and take the case to court after the city ordered him to stop cooking outdoors.
Now, city manager Jason Cobb said they're killing the ticket and reviewing the ordinance.
He said he agreed with Joines that the city rule is vague and needs to be updated.
Cobb says they have asked Joines to reinforce the bricks surrounding his outdoor fire to make it safer.
"He had just one layer of brick," Cobb said. "We've been in a drought, we're always worried about fire spreading."
Joines announced his legal victory on Facebook. He raised $200 online for his legal-defense fund and says he'll return it to the donors.
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