Community and firefighters grateful in wake of Rock Mountain Fire
It’s one of those moments in life that just make you smile. A video shot by the U.S. Forest Service shows wildland firefighters being greeted with cheers and applause Saturday as they made their way through the streets of Clayton during the city’s annual Christmas Parade. It was a warm and well-deserved display of affection for the firefighters who have spent the past five weeks protecting lives and homes in the region.
READ: Rock Mountain Fire now 95% contained
Clayton served as the command center for crews battling the Rock Mountain wildfire. Hundreds of firefighters and support personnel converged on the area after the fire broke out on November 9th. Now, they’re packing their bags. The fire is almost fully contained and personnel are heading home or being deployed elsewhere.
“Each of you has welcomed us with open arms into your communities, restaurants and businesses. For that, we are grateful.” ~ Steve Parrish
Now Habersham readers have been sending their thanks to the firefighters through social media.
The firefighters, too, are expressing their gratitude.
Southern Area Incident Management Gold Team Incident Commander Steve Parrish issued a statement over the weekend thanking the community for its support over the past month.
“Thank you for your hospitality and for being so friendly, generous, thoughtful and caring,” Parrish wrote. “We will never forget your kindness and community support in providing a Thanksgiving meal for all who worked on the fire. Each of you has welcomed us with open arms into your communities, restaurants and businesses. For that, we are grateful.”
Parrish and his incident management team succeeded the Pacific Northwest Team 3 that oversaw the initial response to the Rock Mountain wildfire.
Both teams were successful in leading the firefighters so that no one was injured and no homes or buildings were destroyed.
