Forestry official tells committee wildfire response used new helicopter; crews, tractors and mutual aid contained blaze
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Summary
A forestry representative reported a wildfire in southeast Georgia that involved multi-county resources, multiple tractors and engines, and use of a newly acquired state helicopter with roughly 350-gallon capacity and the ability to transport personnel; crews expected to remain on scene for days.
Johnny Seybold, introduced to the committee as a forestry representative, briefed senators on a wildfire response near Folkston and credited interagency mutual aid and a recently acquired state helicopter for helping to contain the blaze.
"By the time they got there it was already about 100 acres in size," Seybold said, describing early conditions in the extreme southeast part of the state, which the transcript notes is especially dry. He told senators that multiple counties responded and at one point the incident involved about 25 resources and 13 tractors; later in the evening crews "held it to about 600 acres" while continuing suppression work.
Seybold highlighted the role of a newly purchased large helicopter, saying the aircraft made multiple water drops and could carry about 350 gallons — roughly double the capacity of the department's previous helicopter — and had the ability to transport up to 12 people. "That big helicopter was able to fly yesterday in the winds," he added, noting the increased capability compared with smaller aircraft.
Committee members thanked forestry personnel for the response and the chair asked members to recognize the crews' work. Seybold said crews would remain on scene and that containment and mop-up could continue for days.
No formal committee action was taken on the wildfire update; the report was informational.