Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Just weeks ago, South Georgia was in the grip of some of the most aggressive wildfires the region has seen in nearly a decade. While recent rains have helped crews gain the upper hand, the story of what those firefighters faced — on the ground and in the air — deserves to be told.
Ray D'Alessio sat down with Clay Chatham, Air Operations Supervisor for the Georgia Forestry Commission, for an up-close look at what it was like to fly missions over some of the hardest hit areas during the height of the crisis.
Chatham described fires unlike anything the region has seen in roughly ten years — blazes that refused to stay contained, jumping and throwing spot fires across wide areas, creating new threats faster than crews could respond. Fueled by dangerously dry conditions, these fires presented challenges that even the most experienced crews had rarely encountered.
Beyond the flames themselves, Chatham pulls back the curtain on what it takes to sustain an aerial firefighting operation — 12-hour days, 10-day cycles, and a constant focus on rotating pilots to keep them mentally and physically sharp for one of the most demanding jobs in emergency response.
But through it all, Chatham says the pride he feels in his team — and the Georgia Forestry Commission as a whole — is something he wouldn't trade for anything. When it was time to step up, they answered the call without hesitation.
🌾 Subscribe for weekly Georgia agriculture and forestry news — only on The Farm Monitor.
Just weeks ago, South Georgia was in the grip of some of the most aggressive wildfires the region has seen in nearly a decade. While recent rains have helped crews gain the upper hand, the story of what those firefighters faced — on the ground and in the air — deserves to be told.
Ray D'Alessio sat down with Clay Chatham, Air Operations Supervisor for the Georgia Forestry Commission, for an up-close look at what it was like to fly missions over some of the hardest hit areas during the height of the crisis.
Chatham described fires unlike anything the region has seen in roughly ten years — blazes that refused to stay contained, jumping and throwing spot fires across wide areas, creating new threats faster than crews could respond. Fueled by dangerously dry conditions, these fires presented challenges that even the most experienced crews had rarely encountered.
Beyond the flames themselves, Chatham pulls back the curtain on what it takes to sustain an aerial firefighting operation — 12-hour days, 10-day cycles, and a constant focus on rotating pilots to keep them mentally and physically sharp for one of the most demanding jobs in emergency response.
But through it all, Chatham says the pride he feels in his team — and the Georgia Forestry Commission as a whole — is something he wouldn't trade for anything. When it was time to step up, they answered the call without hesitation.
🌾 Subscribe for weekly Georgia agriculture and forestry news — only on The Farm Monitor.
