Alabama firefighters, equipment join wildfire battle in Texas
Alabama firefighters, equipment join wildfire battle in Texas
22 February 2008
published by http://blog.al.com
USA — Five wildland firefighters from the Alabama Forestry Commission leave Saturday morning from Tuscaloosa to help the Texas Forest Service in fighting wildfires in the Granbury area of that state, according to an Alabama Forestry Commission.
The crew will take two heavy wildland fire suppression units — bulldozer/transport combinations — and three pickup trucks.
State Forester Linda S. Casey said the Alabama forestry team is traveling to Texas under the terms of the Southern Fire Compact, a mutual aid agreement between Southern states providing firefighting assistance to each other in case of severe wildfire conditions.
During this 16-day assignment, the Alabama firefighters will be joined by crews from Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Louisiana.
Since the first of the year, 312 wildfires have consumed 121,450 acres in Texas, according to the press release. There are currently 349 personnel fighting the fires.
