PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — When firefighters from across Florida were called to help battle thousands of acres of wildfires, they didn’t hesitate.
Many said they started packing immediately.
“So this is like, you know, some people may like skydiving and that’s their adrenaline rush. So this is their adrenaline rush,” Port Richey Fire Chief Gary Policastri said. “They’ll work day and night. You’ll never get a complainer out here out of the group.”
Chief Policastri said deployments like this are what he and the other firefighters live for.
It’s much different than fighting a house fire.
Brush fires are constantly changing.
“Come the afternoon, the sea breeze kicks in so everything that we start doing in the morning, you have to change in the afternoon because of the change in the winds,” Policastri said. “So strategically, it’s a constant chess match.”
Policastri said they’re scheduled to be in the area for seven days.
“We’re here for you guys and protect these homes and make sure it doesn’t do any more damage, you know other than to just wildland,” Policastri said.
He said he wouldn’t be surprised if they stay up to 30 days.
The regional coordinator for statewide emergency response Ryan Crawford said it’s important to have these additional resources so the first responders can rehab between putting out flames.
“It’s a very tried and tested you know committee over the past 30 years,” Crawford said. “Every time we learn something a little bit more and you know it works and I’m just proud to see all of these resources come from across the state to support us in our time of need.”
Crawford said he’s confident with all of these resources here, they’ll be able to get this fire under control.