GSP brushfire shuts down Hwy. 59, draws response from all over County
GSP brushfire shuts down Hwy. 59, draws response from all over County
A brush fire that erupted just inside Gulf State Park behind Waterville in Gulf Shores around 2 p.m. on March 24 drew responses from 21 other fire departments, and an ALEA water dropping helicopter.
The fire, which drew extensive regional media coverage, forced temporary closures of Hwy. 59 and Fort Morgan Rd.
The brush fire was sparked by a downed powerline behind the Waterville parking lot and was well under control by 7:30 p.m. that evening.
The fire branched off into two directions within the Gulf State Park and businesses located south of East Fort Morgan Road and east of Highway 59 were evacuated as a precaution.
“Our fire department is well prepared. They practice for this. They know what they are doing,’’ said Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft. “But it is a 6,000 acre state park. It is huge. There is no way we can control these fires by ourselves.
“We had 21 agencies show up to help us control the perimeter of this large park. We are thankful that we have the support of each other. We do our fair share when they need us and we are thankful that they came for us.’’
“We’re thankful to share that Waterville USA did not sustain any damage from yesterday’s fire.
A huge thank you to the incredible fireman for their quick action and dedication to keeping our community safe, we’re beyond grateful,’’ Waterville posted following the fire. “We’ll admit we didn’t plan on heading into our 40th anniversary quite this hot, but we’re just thankful everyone is safe.’’ As a thank you, Waterville is offering free admission to Baldwin County firemen May 16-17.
Desoto’s Restaurant in Gulf Shores also offered free meals to all Baldwin County first responders a free meal on March 27-28.
“The fire was a reminder of just how much our first responders do for this community,’’ posted Desoto’s owner Rosemary Steele. “Supporting our first responders has always been important to us. We appreciate everything they do today and every day. Stay safe out there.’’
