Wildfires Rage In Treutlen Co.

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Soperton and Treutlen County first responders had a busy day on Tuesday, April 21, as wildfires raged throughout the county and ultimately led to a fatal wreck.

The first fires began to blaze through the county around 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, as a vehicle was traveling along Georgia Highway 46 and dragging a chain along the roadway, causing it to spark. These sparks set around 10 to 12 isolated spot fires along the continued from page

roadway near Lake Wildwood. Though these “spot fires” began small, the dry conditions caused them to grow quickly, as the fire had spread almost 485 acres by 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

A total of 31 firefighters – 18 paid and volunteer Soperton-Treutlen County Firefighters and 13 mutual aid firefighters from Emanuel County Fire Department, Montgomery County Fire Department, Tarrytown Fire Department, Johnson County Fire Department, and Johnson County Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Fire Department – battled the blaze for hours with 5 fire engines, 6 brush trucks, and 3 tankers. The Georgia Forestry Commission also sent 6 bulldozer teams and their command staff to help prevent the blaze from continuing to spread.

No structures were lost in the fire, but hundreds of acres of planted pine and hardwood mix of trees were torched.

While firefighters were working to extinguish this fire, a small brush fire ignited on the opposite side of the county. In case of additional emergencies, Soperton- Treutlen County Fire Chief John Johnson had instructed two of the County’s firefighters to remain on call at the station. These two firefighters were able to quickly respond to this brush fire and extinguish it within a short period of time.

On Tuesday afternoon, another brush fire was ignited at mile marker 74 on I-16 westbound in the County. Chief Johnson broke off several firefighters from the unit responding to the Georgia Highway 46 wildfire to respond to this blaze. These firefighters teamed up with mutual aid from Emanuel County and Adrian Fire Departments, and worked alongside the Treutlen County Sheriff’s Office, who worked to control traffic.

Because of the heavy smoke, visibility was severely limited along I-16; the Sheriff’s Office closed one lane of the interstate because of this lack of visibility and concern for firefighter safety. During the lane closure, an eighteenwheeler rear-ended another eighteen-wheeler at a high rate of speed, causing the vehicles to crash into a stationary car in the lane.

These vehicles erupted into a massive fire, burning the wreckage. One driver was killed in the wreck.

The regional hazmat team – composed of professionals from Swainsboro and Metter, with Laurens County responders on standby — also responded to the accident, as one of the trucks was carrying 330 gallon totes of a thick liquid resin.

Overall, no firefighters were harmed in any of the fires on Tuesday.

Chief Johnson commented on the day. “97% of the fire department responders [to the fires] were volunteers – guys making $15 for breaking their backs in constant life-threatening conditions from 11:15 a.m. in the morning through placing the last apparatus in service at 9:50 p.m. at night,” he emphasized. “When you go to sleep tonight in our little dot on the map, know well-trained, full of knowledge, skills, and abilities, professional volunteers stand ready to come for you should you need us. We always come to help.”

As dry conditions continue to plague Treutlen County and the surrounding region, Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) Director and State Forester Johnny Sabo has placed the 91 southern counties of the state under a burn ban, outlawing anyone from burning anything outside, even in a fire pit or burn barrel.

“We need everyone to take this situation seriously,” Sabo remarked. “GFC’s wildland firefighters are responding daily to a nearrecord number of wildfires. It’s critical to remember that just one spark or ember continued from page

can ignite a life-threatening wildfire.”

Governor Brian Kemp also spoke on the ban, stating, “I want to thank Director Sabo, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Georgia Environmental Protection Division, and all those working to address the impacts of this critical drought. Georgia Forestry responders are working hard to battle the wildfires caused by these dry conditions, and I’m encouraging all Georgians to do their part in helping them by adhering to this burn ban.”

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper added, “The extreme drought conditions across Georgia are putting agriculture and forestry at significant risk, and I want to strongly encourage all Georgians to do the right thing and adhere to the Georgia Forestry Commission’s burn ban while these conditions persist. I am deeply grateful to Commissioner Sabo and the entire team at GFC for their tireless efforts to successfully contain wildfires across the state.”

Local county and city governments have issued their own burn bans on top of the statewide ban in support of the effort to decrease fire danger throughout the area. Citizens should not burn anything in their yards, burn barrels, or fire pits; they should also avoid throwing cigarettes into the grass or mowing lawns after 10 a.m. each day.

Individuals violating the burn bans are subject to fines. To report someone burning, call your local fire department. In case of emergency, call 911.

VEHICLE BLAZE – Two semi trucks wrecked into a stationary car and ignited into a blaze as firefighters worked to extinguish a fire on I-16 westbound in Treutlen County on Tuesday, April 21. The wreck resulted in a single fatality.