West Mims fire crews see some relief with weekend rain but not letting guard down

ST. GEORGE, Ga. — Fire crews are being urged to stay alert despite the West Mims wildfire not growing overnight Sunday into Monday.

The fire has scorched more than 152,000 acres and is 17 percent contained. Nearly 900 people from across the country are fighting the flames.

Crews say the weekend rain helped hold fire lines, but hot, dry weather over the next several days will increase the threat.

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Blake Addison and his teammates traveled from Alabama to join the fight against the wildfire in the Okefenokee Swamp.

“We try to go back to make sure there's no smoky area so that when things get hot again they don't start flaming again,” Addison said.

With the largest wildfire in the nation on their hands, the task is not easy.

It’s their third of 14 days away from their families. Action News Jax met with them as they headed back into the woods for their Monday shift.

“We're out here about 16 hours a day on this detail,” Addison said.

Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, Addison said their focus is clear.

“We're just trying to find the hot spots and keep them from picking back up again,” Addison said.

All while making sure their team is safe and out of harm’s way.

“When we go on a fire, everybody is a spotter, everybody is a lookout, everybody keeps in mind where our safety zones are and we try to pass that around to everybody,” Addison said.

Addison said in his 16-year career, he has fought fires in Florida in the past, so he’s familiar with the type of terrain in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in South Georgia.

He said safety is top of mind.

“We all know our escape routes and we all know where our safety zones are if things should go bad and we have to get to those areas,” Addison said.

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All fire crews are equipped with fire shelters, which are last-resort safety devices designed to protect firefighters from flames if they get trapped.

It’s something crews hope they never have to use.

Addison said their time fighting the fire has been made easier thanks to the community’s support.

“It's extremely encouraging to know the work we're doing is, they're very appreciative of it. We see the signs and folks come up and tell us thank you,” said Addison.

In Addison’s case, he’ll be heading back home to his family on May 27.

Cox Media Group