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Wildfires plague Washington County
For the past week fire departments in the county have been battling wildfires, many of which result from trash and debris burning that get out of hand due to the strong March winds. One of the hardest hit areas has been McIntosh were approximately 500 acres have burned. Monday, March 19, volunteer personnel from 10 different agencies assisted in fighting a blaze which originated off of Charlie Lee Road, jumped the railroad tracks and spread to an area near the Tate & Lyle plant where the Splenda brand sweetener is manufactured. McIntosh firefighters were called to the fire, which threatened homes in the area, around late morning and struggled to get it under control well into the afternoon. Also responding were members of the McIntosh Rescue Squad, Fairford, Tibbie, Hepworth, Charity Chapel and Mt. Vernon fire departments, the Alabama Forestry Commission and Jackson Emergency Transport Service (JETS). McIntosh Police assisted with traffic control.
"I want to personally thank all the departments who assisted us in getting this fire under control," said Davidson, Monday night. "With these March winds it is difficult to predict what a fire will do. It's generally a good rule of thumb not to burn during the day this time of year when the wind can blow up to 40 and 50 mph and the humidity is low." He added that the March winds are also unpredictable, shifting directions at the spur of a moment. Monday's fire showed how quickly the winds can cause a fire to change direction and move to an area that was previously not in danger. Before firefighters knew what was happening the flames jumped the tracks below the River Road overpass and threatened a number of tanker rail cars parked there.
keep firefighters busy Area firefighters did not get much rest over the weekend either, as two different blazes burned a total of approximately 100 acres near Fairford and McIntosh. Saturday, McIntosh firefighters were called to assist in battling a fire that burned 40-50 acres. Sunday, McIntosh was assisted with a blaze that threatened homes off of Topton Road and also burned about the same amount of acreage.
Valuable Timber lost The trouble really began for firefighters last Tuesday, March 13, when approximately 400 acres burned as the result of a debris fire at a residence on Topton Road in McIntosh that got out of hand. Between 120-140 acres of that belonged to Tensaw Land and Timber Company, causing the loss of a huge amount of timber, which translates to lost profits. Some areas were still smoldering Wednesday afternoon. Davidson said the man who owned the property where the fire originated admitted to starting the fire and losing control of it, resulting in the burned acreage. The blaze threatened a number of homes on Pat Lane Circle and the Roy and Lola Road. Firefighters from Fairford, Wagarville, Tibbie, Layton Hill and Mobile County were called in to assist in battling the blaze. Members of the Alabama Forestry Commission also responded and Boise sent a crew with a bulldozer to the area around 3 p.m. in an attempt to stop the fast-burning fire, which was fueled by high winds. The dozer became bogged down while attempting to cut a fire lane. Personnel were on the scene combining their efforts in containing the fire and to free the dozer from the mud until midnight. A crew with a second midnight. A crew with a second dozer was brought in the next morning and used to pull the first one out. Tensaw Land and Timber Company Chairman of the Board Bob Boykin thanked all those who worked so hard in battling the blaze. "The dedication of the volunteer firefighters in this county is unmatched," he said. "If not for their efforts and the assistance of the crew from Boise, this situation could have been a lot worse." Battling blazes takes its toll Every year firefighters in Washington County face the same scenario of battling fires that are the result of arson or people burning trash and debris during dry and windy conditions. Fighting these fires takes its toll, both physically and financially on the local volunteer fire departments, whose annual funding is very limited. According to Chief Davidson, the state only allocates about $1,900 to each department annually. "That doesn't even cover the cost of the fuel we use," he said. "Depending on how long we are out there, we have to provide drinks and often meals for the firefighters, and that's money we are unable to recoup."
Another cost many people do not take into consideration is the many gallons of water used to battle these blazes. Pumper and tanker trucks, which hold thousands of gallons of water, sometimes have to be refilled several times while battling a fire, depending on its size. In many cases, taxpayers foot the bill for the water used.
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