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Firefighters association president recalls 1998 wildfires

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As fire officials battle a 693-acre fire in Bryceville, Florida, President of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters Randy Wyse sat down with News4Jax to talk about his experience fighting the wildfires that devastated Northeast Florida in 1998.

Nearly two decades ago, Wyse was among firefighters from surrounding counties called in to fight the 2,200 wildfires statewide that burned nearly 500,000 acres and caused about a billion dollars in damage.

Wyse said that wildfires have different risks associated with them that are different from house or structure fires.

“Safety is paramount. You always have trees that can fall on you,” Wyse said. “It takes a different mindset." 

Wyse told News4Jax that wildfires in Northeast Florida can be especially dangerous because of all of the pine trees. Pines can be deadly because they burn underneath the ground and unexpectedly fall on firefighters.

Bogs can also pose issues. Wyse said while battling the wildfires in 1998, a firefighter suffered burns on her legs after walking into a bog where coals were smoldering underneath the surface.

The biggest challenge for firefighters battling a wildfire is the weather.

“The most important thing is understanding weather conditions, and if it changes,” Wyse said. “We keep heads on a swivel for changing winds -- a constant understanding of surrounding.”

Wyse said when fighting wildfires, the fire chief is integral to keeping the crews safe.

“Dehydration, exhaustion – there’s an incident management team on hand,” Wyse said. “Chief will take good care of crews.”