MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – On Tuesday, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced that the Florida Forest Service is deploying a Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) of 35 personnel to support the state of South Carolina in response to the dramatic increase in wildfires occurring across the state. The CIMT from Florida is a specialized team designed to manage large-scale and complex wildfire incidents. These teams consist of experienced firefighting personnel, including incident commanders, operations specialists, and support staff trained to handle high-pressure wildfire situations that require a coordinated and strategic response.

“When a neighbor is in need, Florida will always answer the call for help. Just as we would count on South Carolina to stand with us in our time of need, we are proud to send our highly skilled wildland firefighting personnel to assist in their wildfire response,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “The Florida Forest Service’s expertise in managing complex wildfire incidents will help protect lives, property, and natural resources. This is what true partnership looks like — states working together to meet challenges head-on and ensure the safety of our communities.”

The Carolina Forest Wildfire burning near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The Carolina Forest Wildfire burning near Myrtle Beach, SC. Courtesy: Florida Forest Service

The Florida Forest Service’s decision to send the CIMT to South Carolina highlights the importance of regional compact agreements, such as the Southeastern Compact, in fostering inter-state collaboration and ensuring wildfire management capabilities are optimized across the region.

“We are glad to provide our neighboring state of South Carolina with the additional wildland fire response resources needed at this time,” said Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan. “Through this deployment, the Florida Forest Service not only showcases its commitment to regional cooperation but also highlights the strength of the Southeastern Compact in enhancing wildfire preparedness and response capabilities. It is a vital tool for fostering resilience in the face of natural disasters and reinforces the importance of states working together to address shared challenges in wildfire management.”

The deployment comes as South Carolina faces multiple wildfires threatening property and natural resources. The Florida team will assist by providing leadership, planning, logistics, and tactical expertise.

|RELATED: Florida Forest Service suspends outdoor burn authorizations in five counties due to high fire risk

Ludie Bond, Ph.D., Wildfire Mitigation Specialist/Public Information Officer with the FFS-Wacassassa Division, added, “We have five people from our district who are deploying with the FFS CIMT to fill the request from South Carolina for an incident management team to support the current wildfire incidents.” This district includes Marion, Alachua, and Gilchrist counties.

The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages over one million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance for more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The agency is responsible for protecting over 26 million acres of land from the devastating effects of wildfires.

More news that matters to you…