Brush Fire Thwarted by TFD

April 22, 2021

Today, April 22, the Tallahassee Fire Department (TFD) was dispatched to the report of a brush fire in the area of Gearhart Road and B Willams Lane on the railroad tracks. When units arrived on scene, they noticed what appeared to be multiple fires going down the length of the tracks from that intersection to where Tharpe Street intersects the railroad tracks.

Crews acted quickly to extinguish the fires, including deploying TFD's Special Ops unit that pilots the department's drones. This aerial support for the ground crews put one drone in the air, flew the length of the tracks to check for additional fires and provided vital information to prevent further spread. This approach was especially important for this incident since the railroad tracks run adjacent to many residential and commercial structures. The ability to quickly locate and extinguish additional fires helped keep these structures safe.

TFD is committed to protecting the community through fire suppression, prevention and education. Nationwide data show the majority of brush fires are caused by human activity. Here are three tips to help reduce your risk of accidentally igniting a brush fire:

• Never discard lit cigarettes or matches outside.
• Make sure tractors, off-road vehicles and equipment being used in wooded areas, such as chainsaws, have spark arrestors.
• Don't park a hot car or other machine on extremely dry grass.

Get more fire safety information from TFD by following the department on social media or visiting Talgov.com/Fire.

Contact Information

Sarah Cooksey, Staff Lieutenant/Public Information Officer, 850-508-0730