Middle Georgia firefighters deploy to help battle South Georgia wildfires

Departments say crews are working multi-day shifts as agencies across the region send support.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Fire departments across Middle Georgia are coming together, answering the call for help as wildfires continue to burn in Brantley County.

Four firefighters from the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department deployed Monday morning, volunteering to be part of the first wave.

“One of those things is that our firefighters are always willing to go above and beyond,” Macon-Bibb County Fire Chief Shane Edwards. “These firefighters were volunteers, they volunteered to go, they were calling me and wanted to know if I’m sending anybody please consider them on the first wave.”

Edwards says crews will work 72-hour shifts, and once their shift is over, another crew will be sent to replace them.

“We’re in that field of responding in a moment’s notice,” Edwards said. “They’re able to get up and reassign and move into the areas where they are needed.”

Houston County Fire Chief and EMA Director Christopher Stoner says he’s also sending crews to help.

“It’s the right thing to do honestly,” he said. “If we had a situation here I would hope that we would receive that same support from other areas of the state like we try to provide to them.”

Chief Stoner says this kind of response doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it takes a lot of teamwork.

“Anything like this is just such a large scale, it takes so many resources that it would drain even the largest agencies to be able to handle it on their own,” Stoner said.

Both departments say even though they’re helping in South Georgia, they still have plenty of firefighters here at home ready to respond during an emergency.

Macon-Bibb and Houston County crews join others from 41NBC’s viewing area, including Eastman and Washington County.