MACON, Ga. — It's still wildfire season in the west but 20 members of the Georgia Forestry Commission Hand Crew have returned home from duty.
These are just a few of the men responsible for saving lives, property, and resources. Now, they are sharing their stories of what it was like with boots on the ground.
"There's always the excitement; you never know where it's going to be, and there's a little bit of nervousness," Morgan Cook said.
That's how he describes the moments just before going out on an assignment, and he's been on eight.
"We were actually initial attack, and some of the first few days, the fire was fairly intense. There were a lot of slop overs, the heat--we were in 100 degrees for several days while we were out there, at least for the first week," Cook said.
The Georgia Forestry Commission Hand Crew spent two weeks putting out fires in Washington state. Another fireman on assignment was "crew boss" Troy Helms, who says it's an experience.
"You're going to learn different types of fires. You're going to learn different fuels. The fuels out West are totally different than they are here, so you'll get a chance to see what it does in that type of terrain as opposed to what it does here," he said.
Their time out West even got them special recognition from Governor Brian Kemp.
"I just wanted to make sure to tell that guys we appreciate what y'all are doing to help our neighbor from the other side of the state out there," Kemp said.
For now, the crew awaits the next mission, but Cook says he's just glad to be back home and appreciates the acknowledgment.
"We often get acknowledgment from people out there. Just "good job," "thanks for the effort," and it really makes you feel good," Cook said.
Fire season out West is still in effect, and Cook says they could head out again later this month.
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