3 Florida United Methodist Review Online

Small church helps fight big fire

Smoke from Mallory Swamp fire

Photo Courtesy of the Florida State Emergency Operations Center

The recent Mallory Swamp fire was the largest in Florida this year, burning more than 61,000 acres in little more than two weeks. Volunteers from Branford United Methodist Church fed and supplied firefighters with water, sports drinks, aspirin and candy.

By Michael Wacht

BRANFORD — As many as 20 members of Branford United Methodist Church here provided relief to more than 450 firefighters who came from around the country to fight Florida’s largest wildfire this year.

The Mallory Swamp fire began on Mother’s Day and burned for more than two weeks. It charred more than 61,000 acres of swampland northwest of Gainesville, according to Jim Lee, a member of the Branford church.

During those two weeks, the Branford church led an ecumenical effort to provide firefighters with food, paper towels, candy, water, sports drinks, aspirin and other supplies. “We took the lead to get it rolling,” Lee said. “But, then, the whole community got involved. The churches really pulled together…all the denominations from the two counties.”

Branford’s United Methodist Men and Women each spent a day serving meals at the Lafayette Community Center, which provided as many as 600 meals a day.

During the first week of June, the fire began to grow. Lee said he knew the Branford volunteers were going to need help. He had heard about the United Methodist Committee on Relief and Florida Conference Disaster Response during 1996’s flood relief efforts and decided to contact Bill Rhan, the conference’s disaster response coordinator.

Lee sent Rhan an e-mail on a Friday, and Rhan contacted him that Saturday with support from the conference and both the Tallahassee and Gainesville districts. “Sunday, it rained,” Lee said, helping contain the fire.

Lee said knowing the support was available was liberating for his church. “Even though we’re a small church with limited assets, we have the support behind us if there is a need,” he said. “Bill gave us the freedom to feel like we could go out and do it.”

Branford has just over 140 members and an average weekly worship attendance of 40, according to Lee.

The response was also a learning experience for many of Branford’s members. “It gave us an awareness that we can make a difference,” Lee said. “We went from saying, ‘I wish there was something I could do,’ to, ‘Yeah, I can do this.’ ”

Although the response was “just a reaction,” Lee said the Branford church wants to be ready next time.

A nearby Baptist church is already a Red Cross-designated shelter, so Lee said the United Methodist church wants to care for disaster response workers. “We want to be prepared if they need a place to stay, showers, food, whatever,” Lee said.