The Ledger

By Becky Holland

The City of Cochran Fire and Emergency Services Department spent hours on the front lines of South Georgia’s growing wildfire crisis, working through the night to help protect homes in one of the hardest-hit areas.

As part of a coordinated statewide response involving fire departments, emergency management agencies, and first responders, the department deployed a team of firefighters—along with Fire Chief Brock Wilcher—to Brantley County.

Wilcher told The Ledger by phone tonight that the team arrived around 4 p.m. and remained on the ground until approximately 6 a.m., bringing both personnel and an engine to assist in the effort.

Much of their work focused on exposure protection—defending homes as flames advanced dangerously close.

“As the wildfires got close to a home, we’d provide protection to keep the fire from getting to the home,” Wilcher said.

The crew from Cochran worked through the night alongside other departments, facing heavy smoke and rapidly changing conditions.

The conditions were sobering.

“There were a lot of homes destroyed,” he said.

The crew from Cochran joined others from across the state in an around-the-clock push to contain the fires.

While the battle continues, the team of City of Cochran firefighters have now returned home after a long and demanding deployment.