At approximately 4:27 PM on June 5th, Washington County Fire Department was dispatched to a brush fire off Highway 20 between Blue Springs Road and Pecan Shadows Road. The fire was located in a remote, heavily wooded area, making access by fire apparatus extremely difficult.
We received mutual aid from Wausau Volunteer Fire Department, Ebro Volunteer Fire Department, and Bay County Fire Department. Florida Forestry also responded and played a key role in containing the fire and managing the scene. Everyone’s support was instrumental in this response.
Upon arrival, our team quickly deployed our newly acquired drone to assess the situation. This technology allowed us to safely and efficiently locate the head of the fire, identify possible access points, and direct ground crews where they were most needed.
Thanks to the early deployment of the drone, we were also able to locate a citizen-owned skid steer in the fire’s path. With this information, crews acted quickly and were able to successfully protect the equipment from being lost.
Although our drone program has only been in service for two days, it has already proven its value, playing a vital role in two critical responses.
Our personnel remained on scene until released by Forestry at approximately 7:50 PM. The fire ultimately affected an estimated 15 acres.
We’re proud of the teamwork, coordination, and innovation shown during this response, and remain committed to utilizing every tool at our disposal to protect our community.
