By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

Mayors from all across Shelby County recently signed a statement, which vocalizes their support for the nation of Israel in the wake of the war crimes committed by Hamas.

“We recognize the brutality of war and the death and destruction it wreaks; however, the battle for justice against injustice and good versus evil must prevail to protect the innocent and ensure liberty,” the statement reads. “We pray for a speedy end to hostilities and a lasting peace.”

The statement goes on to condemn Hamas attacks on civilian populations on Oct. 7, Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself against terrorist forces and demands the immediate release of all hostages currently held by Hamas. 

The document itself cements the mayors of Shelby County as being firmly on the side of Israel, and focuses heavily on the crimes Hamas has committed against the Israeli people. However, the document neglects to mention many of the war crimes also perpetuated by Israel itself on its Islamic population and citizens in Gaza which include the violation of medical neutrality.

The letter was signed by the following local politicians:

• Tony Picklesimer, mayor of Chelsea
• Scott Brakefield, mayor of Alabaster
• Theoangelo Perkins, mayor of Harpersville
• Frank Brocato, mayor of Hoover
• Rusty Nix, mayor of Montevallo
• James Latimer, mayor of Vincent
• Ricky Ray Morris, mayor of Wilsonville
• David Mitchell, mayor of Columbiana
• Jon Graham, mayor of Calera
• Brian Puckett, mayor of Helena
• Brenda Bell-Guercio, mayor of Indian Springs
• Gary Waters, mayor of Pelham
• Larry Riggins, mayor of Westover
• Deborah Wilson, mayor of Wilton

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By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

HELENA – Helena’s Boy Scout Troop 532 will host a special pancake breakfast with a special expected guest on Saturday, Dec. 2.

On the morning of the Helena Christmas Parade and before the event gets underway, Helena residents will have the opportunity to grab a pancake breakfast and have their pictures taken with Santa Claus before he makes his grand appearance atop Helena’s firetruck.

Scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. and run until 11 a.m., the pancake breakfast will be held at the Helena Sports Complex and will seek to raise funds for the troop and to provide a fun and festive kick off for the holiday season.

This event will serve as a replacement for the Helena Boy Scout Troop’s Christmas tree sale, which was discontinued in 2021 after 15 years due to dwindling tree supplies and rising transportation costs brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are a boy-led troop,” Scoutmaster Michael O’Brien said. “Overwhelmingly, our scouts kept telling us that they wanted to figure out some other way for us to try and be a part of the holiday tradition. So, we came up with a pancake breakfast with Santa.”

With the goal of selling several hundred tickets to the event, the primary hope for Troop 532 is to raise money for their general fund, which will allow the troop to offset the costs of the program, purchase equipment and continue to promote scouting for future members.

This fundraising event comes at the cusp of a major change for Troop 532, which will be changing chartered organizations after the start of the new year. Since 1985, the troop has been chartered by the Helena Methodist Church but this will change on Jan. 1 due to the church’s disaffiliation with the United Methodist Church and their subsequent decision to discontinue their support of scouting.

After Jan. 1, the troop, which currently stands at over 60 scouts strong and which has produced 28 Eagle Scouts since 2020, will be chartered by the Church at Cahaba Bend.

“We are looking forward to becoming another part of their growing family and outreach starting Jan. 1,” O’Brien said. “The troop is excited about the future and is looking forward to continuing to serve the Helena community.

Troops leaders always encourage the growth of the troop and want the community to know that spots are always available. Boys who are interested in joining the troop can contact Scoutmaster O’Brien at obrie007@bellsouth.net.

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By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

HELENA – Mayor Brian Puckett and the Helena City Council centered a spotlight on the city’s educators during a regularly scheduled city council meeting on the evening of Monday, Nov. 13.

For the second time this year, the city supported its educators by publicly presenting 41 teachers with Teacher Assistance Grants (TAG) that totaled more than $64,500.

Prior to the main focus of the night’s meeting, the City Council also issued a proclamation that named Saturday, Nov. 25 as Small Business Saturday.

“This is a proclamation we like to do every year,” Puckett said. “It’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We really have so many great small businesses here in town and we encourage everyone to go shopping local and to shop small on Saturday, Nov. 25.”

Following the proclamation, Puckett led the grant awards ceremony and announced that for this iteration of the TAG grants, 63 teachers across the five schools in the Helena area applied for grant money in requests that totaled $228,231.56. Of those teachers, Puckett proudly announced that 41 of them had been awarded their requested funds at a total of $64,772.67.

“First and foremost, I want to thank the committee who helps with the selection,” Puckett said. “It’s never fun to have to turn anyone away for these grants, but it’s a good problem to have because we have so many great ideas coming in from teachers. It also couldn’t be done without the funding that gets approved in the budget by the council.”

The fall 2023 iteration of the awards is the sixth time that Helena has awarded its teachers money through the TAG grants, and it has served as a special area of focus for Puckett, who started the grants in the first quarter after his taking office.

“We’ve had 217 teachers apply in the six times we’ve offered these grants,” Puckett said. “Out of that, 174 teachers have been awarded (so far). That totals right under half a million dollars that has gone directly into the teacher’s classrooms. It’s always a wonderful thing.”

The grants awarded during the ceremony were primarily for physical items that will be used in classrooms, such as books, boards, technologies and lab equipment. However, other teachers were also awarded funds to attend additional trainings and conferences that will serve to further educate and broaden their teaching capabilities.

“Not only are we providing ‘stuff’ in people’s classrooms,” Puckett said. “We are also getting people to different kinds of conferences for professional development to be able to make sure that our teachers are the best they can be now and down the road.”

In total, 10 teachers from Helena Elementary School, seven from Helena Intermediate, seven from Helena Middle, 11 from Helena High and six from the Hillsboro School were awarded grants.

The Following TAG grants were awarded to teachers:

Helena Elementary School: $11,840.27 total

• Leah Jordan with $1,924.03 for five round and one rectangular tables; two sets of drawer storage.
• Brandi Abernathy with $1,417.51 for fees to attend the Blue Ribbon School Conference.
• Allie Clement with $1,417.51 for fees to attend the Blue Ribbon School Conference.
• Julie Stephens with $1,417.51 for fees to attend the Blue Ribbon School Conference.
• Jan Hughey with $1,189.46 for fees to attend the Blue Ribbon School Conference.
• Allison Festavan with $1,189.46 for fees to attend the Blue Ribbon School Conference.
• Amy Rooker with $871.51 for fees to attend the Blue Ribbon School Conference.
• Jennifer Newhouse with $1,226.31 for three standing desks and three tilt stools.
• Lillian Brewer with $955.16 for 24 starter set of SPIRE decodable readers.
• Amy Anderson with of $231.81 for five various STEM kits.

Helena Intermediate School: $7,151.09 total

• Jill Davis with $1,730.57 for a Caris Snider author visit and 42 books.
• Sierra Cutts with $1,495.00 for five iPad sets.
• Ashleigh Marshall with $1,010.52 for three iPad sets.
• Alicia Smith with $920.00 for 240 Gizmo subscriptions.
• Sarah Hopper with $860.00 for Creality 3D printer and filament, Keva planks building blocks set with storage and Legos with storage.
• Amanda Miller with $720.00 for three rugs, 15 poof chairs with additional fill and an activity table.
• Kathryn Harrison with $415.00 for admission fee for the SHAA conference.

Helena Middle School: $10,449.20 total

• Lori Walley with $2,000.00 for sensory items for the classroom including handheld tools.
• Olivia Snyder with $2,000.00 for 47 life skills lab items.
• Lena Kilgore with $2,000.00 for 26 items including furniture and supplies for the Huskey Pride winners.
• Cheryl Godsey with $1,500.00 for sets of the High Noon book series.
• Michelle Evans with $1,500.00 for assistant technology, educational supplies, sensory tools, books, classroom. organization and storage and professional development.
• JaNae Bozeman, Crystal Chiles-Benton and Christine Hoffman with $1,198.68 for 12 magnetic mobile white boards.
• Jessica Garcia with $250.52 for 28 books for their classroom.

Helena High School: $24,187.84 total

• Mark Hendren with $6,500.00 for cameras, microphones and tripods for digital media.
• Brandon McCabe with $4,880.00 for two tennis ball machines, four tennis carts, six cases of balls, 30 flags for football, 10 footballs, two sets of cones and yard markers.
• Lindsey Watson with $3,900.00 for 6×12 enclosed utility trailer for color guard.
• Jordan Smith with $1,703.00 for classroom furniture and sensory items.
• Spring McKinney with $1,000.00 for funds for the Peer Helpers program.
• Michelle Branson with $1,398.00 for supplies for cake decorating.
• Sommer Simpson with $1,248.00 for gardening education supplies.
• Tracy Williams with $1,053.00 for an iPad bundle.
• Erika Burns with$1,000.00 for city collaborative project supplies.
• Ryan Dudchock with $894.00 for Vitruve linear encoder.
• Jonathan Mincey with $611.84 for iPad and case.

The Hillsboro School: $11,144.27 total

• Shamima Hassan with $3,087.98 for outdoor instructional equipment.
• Hannah Alexander with $2,559.12 for language arts and math curriculum tools.
• Lydia Edwards with $2,154.17 for language arts and reading materials.
• Britney Doe with $1,743.00 for gardening education equipment.
• Patrick Schrader with $1,000.00 for materials to build a chicken coop.
• Taylor Steele with $600.00 for a garden weather station.

In other news the City Council also approved the following:

• An amendment to the General Fund Budget for the Farmers Market in the amount of $5,615
• A resolution approving an ALDOT agreement for the installation, operation and maintenance of a traffic signal at the intersection of Highway 261 and Sarah Lane.
• Annexation ordinances for 4510, 4518, 4500 and 4515 Eaglewood Drive

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By JOSH BOUTWELL | Special to the Reporter

TROY – It’s been a long road, but Alabama’s very first legal bourbon whiskey distillery attraction, Conecuh Ridge Distillery, is planning for a May 2024 opening as the complex in Troy nears completion.

Conecuh Ridge Distillery will produce the official state spirit of Alabama, Clyde May’s Alabama Style Whiskey. The moonshine whiskey was made famous by former moonshiner Clyde May, a native of Alabama.

After proudly serving his country in the Army’s 77th Infantry in World War II – earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart – Clyde May returned home to Alabama and became known as one of the “most wanted” moonshiners in the state. His original still was set up close to Pike County in nearby Bullock County.

While Clyde May passed away in 1990, his son, Kenny May, launched the legal Clyde May’s Alabama Style Whiskey in 2001 and it became the official state spirit of Alabama in 2004.

While Conecuh Ridge Distillery has bottled and produced its products outside of Clyde May’s home state of Alabama over the years, it will now return to Troy, Ala., when it opens in 2024.

Conecuh Ridge Distillery will produce numerous products, including Clyde May’s Alabama Style Whiskey, Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon, Clyde May’s Cask Strength, Clyde May’s Straight Rye Whiskey and Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

The facility will feature not only the distillery but also a bottling plant, a restaurant and bar, tasting rooms, a retail shop and a barrelhouse to age barrels of whiskey.  All of that will be part of tours that will be featured at Conecuh Ridge Distillery.

The distillery will create approximately 50 new jobs in Pike County once it is fully operational and up to capacity.

Steve May (no relation to Clyde May) serves as vice president and general manager of the Conecuh Ridge Distillery. Prior to joining Conecuh Ridge, May served as director of marketing operations for the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Tennessee.

During his tenure there, he oversaw significant growth in the distillery’s retail sales and annual guest count, which grew from 191,000 to over 300,000 annually. That growth also added to the economic growth of the area. During his tenure, the Jack Daniel’s Distillery invested more than $25 million in capital improvements at the site, as well.

“I was responsible for marketing operations for the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, one of the largest tourist attractions in Tennessee,” May said. “Before the pandemic, we had over 300,000 people a year taking tours there and 190 employees just in marketing. It had an enormous economic impact on the area and it’s our hope that we can do similar things in Troy.”

The distillery will offer five different types of tours when it opens with prices ranging from $20 to $45. Tours will begin at the Clyde 240, Clyde May’s original moonshine still, which was named so because it took $240 worth of copper to make the still. After learning the history of May and Conecuh Ridge Distillery, tourists will get to tour the entire distillery facility and process.

“We will be very family friendly. If you bring your children you can take a tour that doesn’t include any alcohol,” May said. “We have a little bit of everything going on here. We are not just a tourist attraction but a full-fledged distillery with a bottling plant that will produce Clyde May’s whiskey and Conecuh Ridge whiskey.”

“We’ll be buying local grain grown in Alabama,” May said. “Our corn will come from farms right here in this area.  We’ll sell our spent grain, which is very nutritious, to local cattle farmers.”

Troy Mayor Jason Reeves said that he believed the distillery would bring a unique tourist experience to Troy.

“The Conecuh Ridge Distillery will provide a quality tourism destination and investment on the north side of Troy,” Reeves said. “It will be a unique opportunity for those traveling through Troy as well as those within a few hours who would like to take a weekend or even a day trip to see our community and the Clyde May brands’ process. I have no doubt it will be a distinctly fun experience.”

Steve May said that the distillery is planning for a May 2024 opening, but weather and other issues may push that back. Regardless, Summer 2024 looks like it will see the opening of Alabama’s first whiskey distillery that will be located off Highway 231 where 3 million cars travel annually.

The post Alabama’s first bourbon distillery experience to open in 2024 appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

By SASHA JOHNS | Special to the Reporter

Shelby County Schools is on the lookout for new school bus drivers to meet the ongoing needs and growth of the county’s school transportation system.

Currently, there are available driver positions all over the county, but there is also a great need for substitute drivers, particularly in the Helena and Oak Mountain school systems.

Wanda Adams, who works out of the main Bus Shop in Columbiana, wants potential drivers to know that there are benefits to both having a regular route and being a substitute driver and that each offers attributes that may appeal to different kinds of candidates.

“The obvious benefit to taking on a regular route is the county benefits like health insurance and retirement, but substitute drivers have more flexibility in their schedules and can choose which days they want to work,” Adams said. “And of course, there (is no working on) weekends or holidays for drivers.”

There are also available opportunities for drivers to pick up extra work, such as driving for field trips and transporting students and teams for games.

Bus driving is a great job for retirees and stay at home parents, but often entrepreneurs find that it works well with their schedules too, and it presents a viable route to receive benefits.

The Bus Shop will accept a new class of trainees on Thursday, Jan. 4, but wants interested parties to know there are a few things that candidates need to accomplish to qualify for the class. Most importantly, those interested need to acquire a CDL Learners Permit and must submit to a background check as well as a few other prerequisites.

One new driver, Connor Preston, is one of several new additions to the roster who completed the most recent class this past fall and did so in a search to acquire insurance. Preston, who is also a children’s minister at a local church, is currently working as a substitute driver in Columbiana.

“When I first started the classes, I didn’t realize all the things I’d have to learn when it came to the safety checks you have to memorize for the pre-trip and it was a little intimidating,” Preston said. “Austin Shifflet, one of the bus mechanics, was a great trainer though and it ended up being a lot easier than I thought it would be.”

Interested candidates can hear more information about the qualifications and prerequisites needed to join the January bus class by visiting the Shelby County Board of Education website under the Transportation tab or by calling the Bus Shop at 205-682-7130.

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The Thompson Warriors, Helena Huskies and Briarwood Lions will all gear up for big second-round playoff matchups this week, while the Cornerstone Chargers will take on Springwood in the AISA 8-man State Championship Thursday. We break it all down on this week’s show!

0:00 Highlights

1:26 Show intro

7:37 Thompson vs. Vestavia Hills

15:47 Helena at Hillcrest Tuscaloosa

26:48 Briarwood vs. Saraland

34:18 Cornerstone vs. Springwood

39:13 SCR Stars of the Week

44:40 Show close

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The Helena Huskies took down Wetumpka in the opening round of the playoffs behind seven touchdowns from Jordan Washington and more than 600 yards of offense.

The post WATCH: Helena wins playoff game behind Washington’s 7 TDs appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

HELENA – Helena Mayor Brian Puckett officially earned the professional designation of Advanced Certified Municipal Official (ACMO) from the Alabama League of Municipalities during a graduation ceremony held in Orange Beach, AL on Nov. 8.

In doing so, Puckett illustrated his completion of not only 40 credit hours of training conducted, or endorsed, by the League, but also the completion of a complementary 40 hours of additional training.

Puckett, who is a member of the 25th graduating class of ACMOs, was one of just 35 municipal leaders who earned the designation this year.

“My goal is always to be the best leader of our great city,” Puckett said. “The educational component gives me the opportunity to make decisions that make Helena the best today and 20 years from now.”

Because of his attendance at statewide and regional educational conferences, Mayor Puckett has received formal classroom training in subjects such as council meeting procedures, parliamentary procedure, the Open Meetings Act, public records, ordinance drafting, conflicts of interest, the state ethics law, duties of the mayor and council, tort liability, the competitive bid law, zoning and planning, annexation, municipal regulatory powers, municipal revenues and expenditures, personnel actions and leadership development.

“Alabama’s municipalities are the foundation of our state’s economy,” ALM Executive Director Greg Cochran said. “Vibrant communities depend on knowledgeable and engaged leadership, which is exactly what the CMO program encourages through training on the finer points of municipal government. Earning the Advanced Certified Municipal Official designation further showcases the commitment of community leaders to be better informed, more effective municipal officials.”

The training program for elected municipal officials was first created in 1994 by the Alabama League of Municipalities, under the direction of its Executive Committee, to complete the cycle of training for municipal officials and employees. According to the league, prior to this, no formal training had ever been offered for elected officials within the state of Alabama. It was further expanded to resemble its more current form in 1998, with the creation of courses furthering CMOs with additional training.

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By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

HELENA – The city of Helena is preparing to host the return of two holiday events that welcome in the month of December each year.

The city’s residents and visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy and experience both the city’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Event and Helena’s Holiday Market on Friday, Dec. 1.
Both events will be centered around Helena’s Welcome Center caboose

During the two events, attendees will be treated to an evening filled with music, holiday shopping, local food and countless opportunities to make cherished memories. Music will be brought to the event by none other than the Martini Shakers, a band with origins in Birmingham, AL, who are known for their rockabilly sound and sensibilities.

Additionally, the Helena High School Choir and the Dance Et Cetera dance team will also take part in the evening’s festivities and will perform renditions of Christmas classics during elements of the ceremony.

The Holiday Market promises to offer a wide array of vendor booths that will present a large variety of unique gift options and holiday merchandise including handmade crafts and ornaments. A number of food vendors will be in place at the event as well and will ensure that visitors can enjoy selections and tastes from local establishments and businesses.

Children at the event will also have the opportunity to meet and visit with Santa Claus, who will be making an early appearance in Helena before his grand visit during the Helena Christmas parade on Saturday, Dec. 2.

At the close of the evening and following the market, the pinnacle of Friday’s lineup will be the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony that is set to begin at 6 p.m. In a moment signifying the beginning of a season filled with love, togetherness and common goodwill, city officials will activate the lights on Helena’s tree which stands at roughly 20 ft. tall. The spectacle is promised to generate a sight visitors won’t want to miss.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the City of Helena for their generous sponsorship of this event, made possible under the visionary leadership of the Helena Beautification Board,” said Christmas in Helena Chair and City Councilmember Chris VanCleave. “Their commitment to enhancing the beauty and vibrancy of our city has allowed us to create an unforgettable experience for all.”

The post Helena prepares for annual city Christmas events appeared first on Shelby County Reporter.

By BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

A hazy smoke fills the air, forcing cars to a stop as police close one of the busiest highways between Columbiana and Alabaster on Friday, Nov. 3 as local firefighters tried to control a fire spreading across the dry grass and leaves along County Road 26.

This has been a common theme recently with seven brush fires occurring in Shelby County during the past 30 days, while 393 have been spurred across the state with more than 3,000 acres burning.

“It’s definitely very dry,” said Chelsea Fire Chief Joe Lee, who recently had his department battling a brush fire near U.S. 280. “We haven’t had significant rain in a couple of months now.”

A fire requires only three specific things in order to occur which are fuel, the right weather conditions and a single spark. At the moment, Alabama is dangerously abundant with all three.

Fuel

In Alabama, the months of October, November and December are marked by a steady dryness and lack of humidity. Weeks can and do go by without a drop of rain, rivers and streams run lower and lower and combustibles, such as dead leaves and dry grass,  gather on the forest floor. For the last 60 days there has not been any rain in the entirety of Alabama, and Gov. Kay Ivey has officially declared both a statewide “no burn order” and a “drought emergency.” 

“We haven’t gotten a lot of rain recently,” said Dave Holley of the Alabama Forestry Commission. “When you combine that with other weather conditions like relative humidity that dries out the leaves, the grass and just everything else. You can hear it when you walk through the forest. Everything just goes ‘crunch, crunch, crunch.’”

Similar to starting a campfire, a forest fire begins with small combustibles being set aflame. The fire then rapidly builds from there, spreading out and consuming sticks then logs and then finally larger materials, such as trees and buildings

“The number of wildland or grass fires has increased this year,” Calera Fire Department Deputy Chief Shane Stoudenmire said. “Nothing has been really big yet, and we’ve been significantly blessed for that.”

To some people, the obvious answer to the problem of having this degree of kindling lying around and simply waiting to start a massive fire is to just have a series of controlled burns. But this is not viable for a couple of reasons.

“Population density plays a big role in that, because of air quality,” Stoudenmire said. “When you start burning off all the underbrush in rural areas some of it will start to settle in the nearby urban areas and create all sorts of issues with air quality.”

Stoudenmire noted that the way the winds have been working the last few months plays a big factor in this, both in how they push smoke into more populated areas and how they can help wildfires spread quickly.

Correct weather conditions

In addition to a fuel source, fire also requires the presence of oxygen and active winds help flames grow and spread. This leads to wildfires finding purchase in more of the dry grass and kudzu that covers much of the county.

“Windy days are when you’re at your highest risk when you burn, because the wind is gonna push these embers in the direction of the land,” Stoudenmire said.

Higher wind speeds and drought are both major contributors to wildfire risk, and both have also been linked to global warming and climate change.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has stated that increased temperature has resulted in a severe lack of moisture in potential fire fuels such as trees, shrubs and forest debris. Studies have also shown that this has in turn more than doubled the rate of large wildfires in the US since 1984.

The current weather conditions may be providing the perfect environment for wildfires, but ultimately a fire cannot be started without a source. While wildfires do naturally occur, brought about by lightning and other natural phenomena, more often than not they are brought about through human action and error.

The spark

When the Saginaw Fire Department reported that six acres of land was burned in a brush fire near County Road 26 on Friday, Nov. 3, they were able to determine that the fire’s origin stemmed from a single bottle rocket.

When conditions are as primed and prepared for fire as Alabama is currently witnessing, something as small as a bottle rocket can lead to a wildfire that can potentially consume countless acres. It was only thanks to the immediate action and reaction from firefighters that this latest fire only spread across six acres.

According to Stoudenmire, the incident was hardly an outlier, saying he has been called to multiple scenes where fires have been started from something as small as someone tossing a smoking cigarette out of their window while driving down the highway.

“Luckily those fires are usually small, but if you get a good windy day, they can quickly get hard to control,”  Stoudenmire said.

Similar to the Smokey Bear saying, “Only you can prevent wildfires,” local fire departments across Shelby County are asking for the help of the public to make sure residents aren’t put into those dangerous situations.

“The best thing that people living in the community can do is just refrain from outdoor burning of all types,” Lee said. “If they can just hold out until this winter when we have plenty of rain, then it’ll be fine. But this isn’t the right time of year to have fires outside.”

The Dangers of fighting fires

When fighting a wildfire, it’s less about putting the fire out and more about just keeping the flames contained and preventing the spread of destruction.

“Depending on the terrain and where the fire’s at, we sometimes just can’t get water up there,” Cahaba Valley Fire Chief Buddy Wilks said. “A lot of times, it just gets into a position where we’re just trying to contain it by clear-cutting lines into the ground.”

Wilks noted that fire departments often call in the local forestry commission to aid in wildfire containment efforts by using tractors to dig trenches around the fire. 

“It’s a lot,” Wilks said. “It’s a very strenuous activity because we are just basically using rakes, hoes and chainsaws to cut down trees and to monitor things.”

Alarmingly, these wildfires can continue on for days. Wilks went so far as to comment that several fire departments in Shelby County have been fighting the same fires for days on end at the time of this writing.

“It’s a very difficult operation we go through and very manpower intensive,” Wilks said. “Just rotating companies around and working with the forestry commission to keep things contained.”

Sometimes, though, the environment gets ahead of the firefighters. The wind may start blowing the other direction, or a stray ember may jump over the trenches and into a fresh batch of dead leaves. That’s when things get truly dangerous.

“There comes a point that you just have to let it go because you can’t get can’t get ahead of it,” Wilks said. “Then it’s all just trying to protect houses and doing your best.”

Luckily, there have been no recorded fatalities in Shelby County from any of the recent wildfires, and all of the firefighters across the assorted departments in the county have expressed their dedication to continuing fighting fires and keeping people safe. They all stressed the importance of abiding by the burn ban as long as it lasts.

“The rain this weekend, if we get it, will probably help the fires that are burning right now,” Wilks said. “But it’s not going to change the drought conditions enough to keep fires from starting elsewhere. It’ll help a little bit, but we’ve got a long period of time for us to get out of real danger.”

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