Firefighters scramble to protect church and houses as fire spreads
A ‘controlled burn’ that got out of control late Monday afternoon in Floamaton had firefighters and other volunteers scrambling to protect Little Escambia Baptist Church and other homes and structures after the fire began to spread outside the ‘controlled’ area.
The Alabama Forestry Commission issued the control burn permit to Freddie Lambeth to burn 117 acres of land near County Road 25 (Upper Creek Road) and Highway 113.
Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton said he received a call from Teddy Lambeth Monday to inform him of the controlled burn. Records show the land in question is owned by Freddie, Teddy, Shannon and Peggy Lambeth.
“He (Teddy) called me Monday morning and said he had a burn permit and wanted to let me know,” Stanton said. “I called the police department to let them know it was a controlled burn.”
Stanton said at 3:57 p.m. Monday, Teddy Lambeth called him and said the blaze had jumped the fire line and was heading toward Little Escambia Baptist Church.
“I immediately called Friendship, Lambeth and Century to head toward Little Escambia Baptist Church to help us,” Stanton said.
He said he then received information that the fire was headed toward other houses and sent fire engines off of Pecan Leaf Lane. He said the Alabama Forestry Commission sent a dozier to cut a fire break but quickly got bogged down.
Stanton said the fire was burning toward the church and said Matt Arrington brought a backhoe to get the forestry commission’s dozier out of the mud.
Stanton said he called Steve Creamer, who sent a dozier to help create more fire breaks to keep the fire from spreading.
Stanton said Flomaton Fire Chief Chance Thompson launched his drone to give firemen an exact location on where the fire was heading and what structures were in danger.
He said no structures were damaged, but said firemen did uses hoses to water down a shed behind Little Escambia Baptist Church in case the fire jumped the tree line.
Stanton said the fire was under control in about three hours. He said Thompson went back to the area about 11:30 p.m. Monday to fly the drone to see if there were any ‘hot spots’ in the woods.
“The last few wood fires we’ve had, Chance’s drone has come in handy,” Stanton said. “It can pinpoint where the fire is and where it’s headed, which allows us to send crews.”
Stanton said while Lambeth had a burn permit and burn permits are allowed, people need to to keep the conditions and wind into consideration before burning.
“Just because it’s legal to burn, doesn’t mean you need to burn when the wind is blowing,” Stanton said. “It puts a lot of pressure on us. At first we protect lives and then structures. But it puts firemen’s lives in danger.”
Stanton said there is still a lot of dead debris on the ground that provides fuel for fires to spread quickly in wooded areas.
“It doesn’t take but one arc or ember to get out and start another fire,” Stanton said.
