GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — As crews continue to gain ground on the massive wildfire in Brantley County, a unique group played a key role in the response: inmate firefighters from across Georgia.
The fire has burned more than 22,000 acres and is now about 85% contained.
Officials say inmate crews were among those helping on the front lines in the earlier stages.
“The fires are record-breaking fires,” said Tyron Oliver, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections. “It just goes to show you all hands are on deck for this.”
A group of inmates from state prisons across Georgia were deployed to Brantley County through a specialized firefighting program.
According to the Department of Corrections, these inmates are trained and certified firefighters to work alongside traditional crews during emergencies.
Officials say the crews initially focused on protecting homes and structures as the fire spread in Brantley County.
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“They were down there doing structural asset protection those first three days, and then they moved back to a support role and were putting out hot spots and things of that nature,” Oliver said.
The firefighters are part of the department’s Fire Services and Life Safety Unit, a program that has been in place for several years.
It operates 19 fire stations in state prisons and six in county prisons across Georgia.
In many rural communities, these teams serve as a critical resource, often acting as a highly trained, no-cost fire response where full-time fire departments are limited or unavailable.
“They’re not housed inside of a facility. They’re housed outside of a facility and in a firehouse, so they live and operate just like a civilian fire team and fire squad,” Oliver said.
In total, 20 inmate firefighters were deployed to Brantley County over a three-week period, working 12-hour shifts as part of the response effort.
Those inmates came from Smith, Autry, Wilcox, Ware, Long, Rogers, Hancock, Calhoun, and Johnson State Prisons.
“We’re proud to be a part of helping that community, helping to save lives, save structures down there,” Oliver said.
While those crews have now returned to their home facilities, officials say they remain ready to deploy again if needed as wildfire season continues.
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