Clay County fire chief details multi‑agency fight to contain 4,700‑acre wildfire along Clay‑Putnam line

Fire Chief Lauren Mach told the Board of County Commissioners on April 28 that a large wildfire that began April 19 along the rail corridor near State Road 209 produced multiple ignition points and spread rapidly under high winds, prompting a broad multi‑agency response.

“We had at least four distinct fire points as we were responding,” Mach said, describing how lightning‑fast wind shifts and spot fires drove the flames into contiguous timberland. Forestry and local fire units mobilized bulldozers to construct fire lines, and aviation assets — including fixed‑wing retardant planes and scooper aircraft drawing water from the river — were flown in to slow the spread.

Mach said Clay County had nearly 50 firefighters engaged early in the incident and that, at the fire’s peak, structural and forestry partners meant “well over 100 people” were working the lines. State engine and brush strike teams augmented local personnel, and forestry brought more than 40 dozers to build containment.

Forestry also coordinated large air assets and rapid air drops; Mach described scooper planes running 10–15 minute cycles to suppress the flames while dozers hardened lines on the ground. Emergency management established staging and sheltering, and faith‑based partners provided space for evacuees.

As of the briefing, Mach said the fire had grown to roughly 4,796 acres and was about 80% contained; she cautioned that full containment could take much longer because heat remains in damaged timber and residual fuel. She said federal assistance was sought and authorized under a Fire Management Assistance Grant, which will cover a substantial portion of suppression costs.

Mach thanked forestry, neighboring counties, state partners and the public for coordinated logistics, donations and volunteer support. “The community support was amazing,” she said, noting thousands of donated water, food and supplies delivered to the incident command post. She also reported that one forestry partner died following a medical event while supporting the response and expressed condolences.

The chief reiterated that the county remains under a burn ban and urged residents to maintain defensible space around structures, avoid open burning and heed temporary flight restrictions for firefighting aircraft. She warned that short rains will not immediately remove the long‑term risk and that vigilance is still required.

The board and commissioners asked questions about injuries, air operations and the timeline for containment; Mach said no Clay County structures were lost and credited the coordinated incident command structure for the outcome.

What’s next: forestry and county crews will monitor hotspots and reinforce lines while recovery and damage assessments continue. The county said federal reimbursement will cover roughly 75% of eligible suppression costs under the FMAG program.