LANG and EMAC helicopter crews are continuing their mission of water-drop operations in Beauregard, Sabine, and Vernon Parishes in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s office and local agencies in fighting the wildfires in the region.
The augmentation to the LANG aerial firefighting efforts, through EMAC support from the Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas National Guard, have resulted in a rotation of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and CH-47 Chinook helicopters that have provided over 385 flight hours of aid from the time LANG assets were activated in response to the wildfires.
“For Louisiana, this is a unique mission for our engineers. I have not been involved in this type of response in my 18 years of service,” said Maj. Michael D’Aguiar, executive officer of the 527th Engineer Battalion. “The unpredictability of wildfires and its ability to continuously change, versus a hurricane or tornado response, brings about a very different perspective in which you must look at how we apply our engineering assets to solve this very complex problem.”
In addition to the Tiger Island fire, LANG engineers have responded in multiple areas to include Pirates Cove and Cooter’s Bog. The response in Cooter’s Bog presented a unique opportunity to the engineers by widening and creating firebreaks along pipelines that lead to a natural gas plant. “Our job is to widen this existing firebreak to prevent the fire east of us from spreading towards the gas plant to the west of us,” said Shreveport native Staff Sgt. Zachary Attaway with the 1023rd Engineer Vertical Construction Company.
Attaway, who has never responded to wildfires before now, explained the value of experience that his engineers are receiving while working alongside community partners to clear the firebreaks. “The stakes are higher. You have to be more vigilant and pay more attention because there are fires flaring up as we are operating,” said Attaway. “It helps the operators with their attention to detail and how careful they need to be while working as a team and being able to communicate clearly.”
LANG and EMAC Soldiers are anticipated to accumulate record statistics for Louisiana as they continue support efforts towards these relief efforts.
On August 26th, one such mission occurred in Vernon Parish. As soldiers were prepositioned around the state, ready to respond to any call for help, the 61st Troop Command, based out of Carville, was tasked with an evacuation request. Specifically, the 61st TC assisted with the evacuation of the Woodlands Healthcare Center that evening. LANG provided eight Soldiers from the 927th Engineer Company, 61st Troop Command, to assist with the loading of 135 residents from the facility onto charter buses to be relocated across the region. The evacuation was a precaution as the wildfires were spreading into the rural parts of the parish; therefore, getting the citizens to a safer location was paramount for this mission. In addition to the mission of evacuating the healthcare center, service members also assisted with detecting and controlling a pop-up fire.
On August 30th, Chief Warrant Officer 5s Hugh Junca and Dale Poe, along with Chief Warrant Officer 3 Dusty Bernard, were en route back to the Pineville area after conducting site visits to the affected areas of Cooter’s Bog and DeRidder in Beauregard Parish. While traveling, they noticed a faint column of smoke bellowing up from the Grayson Marler Road area on Highway 121 near the city of Otis. The three warrant officers decided to investigate the source of the smoke, and after discussions with several already alerted and concerned residents in the area, determined that the smoke was coming from a location behind residential housing within close proximity.
After contacting first responders, the LANG warrant officers searched behind residential housing and found a growing fire that was approximately 100 yards into the woods. Upon making this discovery, the service members hurried back to the residences and began to assist with an evacuation plan. The primary focus became getting the affected citizens to a safer area until the fire could be contained. Once the residents were safe, Junca, Poe, and Bernard offered assistance to the firefighters as they arrived on the scene. Both LANG and the local fire authorities helped alert the neighboring residents and control the blaze. After the passing of some time, the fire was contained by the firefighters. It was at that point that the service members continued on their journey back to the Pineville area.
“We remain in constant communication with all of our federal partners and are grateful for their rapid approval of our latest request for assistance in fighting the Highway 113 Fire in Vernon and Rapides parishes,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “Louisiana is still facing unpredictable and dangerous conditions as we continue to fight wildfires across the state.”
Citizens can join the recovery effort through a fund established at the Central Louisiana Community Foundation (CLCF). In late August, CLCF opened the Louisiana Strong Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund to provide financial resources to support the immediate and long-term recovery needs for the people and places affected by the devastating wildfires in Central Louisiana. Central Louisiana Community Foundation is working in close collaboration with state and parish leaders, nonprofit organizations, first responders, and community members to get an understanding of the quickly evolving priorities.
Donating is easy; simply visit clcf.net or scan the QR code on this page to contribute to the fund. Your contribution, no matter the size, sends a powerful message of unity and support that resonates across our region. By coming together, supporting our neighbors and the soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard, and making contributions to funds like the Louisiana Strong Fund, we can continue to Protect What Matters in Cenla.
Sgt. 1st Class Scott D. Longstreet, Staff Sgt. David C. Kirtland, the Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office, and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness contributed to this article.