Gulf Shores had 21 outside agencies assist in response to a brush fire at Gulf State Park on Tuesday, March 24.

Melvin Shepard, Gulf Shores Fire Rescue chief of staff, said Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) sent a helicopter from Montgomery that was able to assist by dropping water on the burning site, which ignited near Waterville USA east of Highway 59 and south of Fort Morgan Road.

While the ALEA helicopter likely covered the most distance to assist, according to a Facebook post from the City of Gulf Shores, fire and rescue agencies, support and law enforcement came from all over the county. Fire and rescue services drove from Barnwell, Belforest, Bon Secour, Elberta, Elsanor, Fairhope, Foley, Fort Morgan, Josephine, Lillian, Loxley, Magnolia Springs, Orange Beach, Oyster Bay, Perdido Beach, Robertsdale, Rosinton, Silverhill and Summerdale.

Support and law enforcement included resources from ALEA, Alabama Forestry, Baldwin 911, Baldwin EMA, Baldwin EMC, BCSO, Gulf Shores Police Department (GSPD) and State Park Police.

The post says local restaurants also provided food and water to first responders during their response.

Approximately 50 acres were burned in total, but Alabama State Parks Chief of Natural Resource Section Tasha Simon said a majority of this was on private property and that only about 12 of the park's 6,000-plus acres burned.

Other media outlets reported as much as 100 acres burned, but Shepard said at the time and again a week later that the originally reported number of about 50, which is what GCM reported, was correct.

While it may seem counterintuitive, an unexpected fire, like the March 24 one, can benefit a local ecosystem by reducing excess fuel, returning nutrients to the soil and promoting new growth in the long term, especially in the Gulf's coastal zone, Simon said.

In the short term, a fire like this may result in some temporary habitat disruption, but many native plant species are well-adapted to fire.

"One of the most important things for the public to understand is that while fires can be concerning to see, they also play a beneficial role in maintaining the health of landscapes like Gulf State Park," she said. "Fire is a natural process, and the ecosystem affected by the fire will begin to recover quickly, with many native plants adapted to regenerate and even thrive following a burn."

WILDFIRES SEEN ACROSS ALABAMA

Weather-based fire hazards were seen across the state at the end of March; the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) sent out a statewide release discouraging any outdoor burning the weekend following the Gulf State Park fire due to a drop in relative humidity and increased wind speeds.

From March 19-26, according to the AFC release, 147 wildfires burned approximately 5,600 acres of forestland across the state. This included a 963-acre wildfire in Wilcox County, one for 505 acres in Marengo County, a 464-acre fire in Montgomery County and four others over 200 acres in Choctaw, Covington, Etowah and Walker counties.

Around 2 p.m. on March 24, a downed powerline on the east side of Waterville USA ignited the brush fire, which spread north/northwest due to the wind, Shepard said.

The day of the fire, Gulf Shores Police Chief Dan Netemeyer told GCM it "was burning pretty good for a while" and branched off into two directions as it horseshoed within the state park.

"Luckily, the fire department addressed it pretty quickly," he is previously quoted as saying. "We've got ALEA's helicopter out here right now dumping water on the fire. They're just attacking it from all angles."

While the burn was ongoing the afternoon of March 24, State Park Road was closed to the public and Highway 59 shut down from Fort Morgan Road to Waterville. Businesses east of the Highway 59 closure were evacuated as a precaution. Shepard, at the time, told GCM there were crews near the old zoo property and the trail that runs adjacent to Fort Morgan Road.

By the end of the day, the fire was under control and roads were reopened. Shepard said no property was damaged in the fire.

In a video posted on Facebook by the City of Gulf Shores, Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft said though the city's fire department is well-prepared and trained for events like this, the 6,000-plus acre park "is huge and there's no way that we could control these fires by ourselves."

"We're thankful that this community has the support of each other," he said. "We do our fair share; when they need us, we're going to go, and we're thankful that they come to us."

Simon said Alabama State Parks is grateful for the partnerships and response from all emergency agencies during the event.

"Their expertise and seamless collaboration were critical in ensuring the safety of our visitors, protecting surrounding communities and preserving the natural resources of Gulf State Park," she said. "We deeply appreciate their commitment to public safety and their continued support in times like these."