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Clay County fire chief details multi‑agency fight to contain 4,700‑acre wildfire along Clay‑Putnam line
Summary
Fire Chief Lauren Mach said crews from Clay County, state forestry and other jurisdictions fought a fast‑moving, multi‑point fire started near rail tracks; aerial tankers, scooper planes and bulldozers built containment lines and federal assistance was requested. No Clay County structures were damaged.
Fire Chief Lauren Mach told the Board of County Commissioners on April 28 that a large wildfire that began April 19 along the rail corridor near State Road 209 produced multiple ignition points and spread rapidly under high winds, prompting a broad multi‑agency response.
“We had at least four distinct fire points as we were responding,” Mach said, describing how lightning‑fast wind shifts and spot fires drove the flames into contiguous timberland. Forestry and local fire units mobilized bulldozers to construct fire lines, and aviation assets — including fixed‑wing retardant planes and scooper aircraft drawing water from the river — were flown in to slow the spread.
Mach said Clay County had nearly 50…
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