Monitoring the Southeast Georgia Wildfires

For those who don't live in the southeast, you may not be aware that southern Georgia has two large wildfires burning at the same time: the Pineland Road Fire in Clinch and Echols Counties (west of the Okefenokee Swamp) and the Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County (east of the Okefenokee Swamp). As I write, the Highway 82 Fire has burned over 22,000 acres and is 33% contained and the Pineland Road Fire has burned over 32,000 acres and is 38% contained. Both fires are due to the extraordinary drought in the region. Over the last few days, I've been able to hear some of the firefighting radio traffic from the two fires; most from the Highway 82 Fire, but some of the same assets and frequencies are being used for both fires. 

Monitoring the Highway 82 Fire from a safe distance from KF4LMT Mobile using a Uniden SDS100, two Uniden BCD325P2s, a Uniden BCD436HP, and a Whistler TRX-1

I've had the chance to monitor from both home in Savannah and from the Brunswick area closer to the Highway 82 Fire. From home in Savannah I could hear related traffic on the regional trunking system used by a number of counties along the coast and some of the aerial tanker traffic en route to the fires on VHF airband. On the two days I was in Brunswick, I was able to monitor with the mobile station and some handheld scanners and hear some of the ground firefighting and helicopter traffic. Most of those communications were VHF analog and VHF airband. Fire Departments from all over the state have sent units to both fires to assist the local departments and both Georgia Forestry Commission and the US  Forestry Service/National Interagency Fire Center have resources committed to fighting the fires. Aerial firefighting has been being conducted by helicopters (including Georgia Army National Guard CH-47s and UH-60s) and small fixed wing aircraft based near the fires and larger aerial tankers have been working out of bases in Lake City, FL and Chattanooga, TN. 

Georgia Forestry Commission

159.1200 (DCS 054) - GFC D5 Sidney Lanier Repeater

159.3900 (PL 156.7) - GFC Mobile-to-Mobile

National Interoperability

154.4525 (PL 156.7) - VTAC 12

158.7375 (PL 156.7) - VTAC 13

National Interagency Fire Center

168.6500 (PL 110.9) - NIFC National Flight Following

163.1000 (CSQ) - NIFC All Call 1

164.8000 ($5B6) - Unknown, Air Attack Related

163.1375 (PL 100.0) - National Intra-Crew 2

168.200  (CSQ) - NIFC Tac 2

166.725 (PL 146.2) - NIFC Tac 5

122.900 - Brantley County Airport Unicom

130.300 - Highway 82 Fire Primary Air-to-Air

123.150 - Highway 82 Fire Air-to-Air Rotor/Secondary Air-to-Air

122.575 - Highway 82 Fire Air Tanker Operations

SEGARRN (Southeast Georgia Regional Radio Network)

 TG 2051 - NIMS Common

Firefighting Aircraft

AIR ATTACK 4NC (AC90, N44NC, Ponderosa Aviation)

TANKER 10# (MD87, Erickson Aero)

TANKER 16# (RJ85, Aero Flite)

N13FH (UH-60A, Brainerd Helicopters Inc

N402MA (B407, Minuteman Aviation)

GUARD 08070 (CH-47F, 09-08070, B/1-169 AVN GA ARNG)

GUARD 08076 (CH-47F, 10-08076, B/1-169 AVN GA ARNG)

GUARD 08772 (CH-47F, 08-08772, B/1-169 AVN GA ARNG)

GUARD 08807 (CH-47F, 10-08807, B/1-169 AVN GA ARNG)

GUARD 26187 (UH-60V, 89-26187, C/1-106 AVN GA ARNG)

GUARD 26391 (UH-60L, 91-26391, 1-171 AVN GA ARNG)

GUARD 26603 (UH-60L, 95-26603, 1-171 AVN GA ARNG)

GUARD 26680 (UH-60L, 96-26680, 1-171 AVN GA ARNG)

Both of these fires in more rural areas of the state and over 100 homes have burned down and families made homeless. Please keep the residents in your prayers and if you are so moved, donate to trustworthy organizations who are providing assistance. The Highway 82 Fire Facebook page, has information on organizations who are helping those who have been burned out in the Brantley County area.