Six Vicksburg firefighters will spend the rest of the week in Rolling Fork assisting the town’s volunteer firefighters as they continue recovering from the March 24 EF-4 tornado.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the move at its meeting Monday.

The firefighters left Monday afternoon and will return Friday.

Vicksburg Fire Chief Derrick Stamps said State Fire Coordinator Brad Smith with the Mississippi State Fire Marshal’s Office called him requesting the department’s help.

“He asked for six firefighters, a pumper and a supporting vehicle,” Stamps said.

Stamps said after the meeting the firefighters will stay at the Anguilla Methodist Church in Anguilla while assisting Rolling Fork.

Smith said several fire departments across the state have gone to Rolling Fork since the tornado hit and devastated the town.

“We started the day after or a couple of days after the tornado came through,” he said. “We’ve sent teams from Jackson County, Harrison County, Marion, Rankin, Forrest, Lamar. We’ve sent several.”

From the pictures he has seen of the Rolling Fork Fire Station, he said, it appeared the building’s doors were blown in and the entire rear of the station was blown out. The department’s equipment, he said, is all right.

“The Rolling Fork guys, they all had damage or total destruction of their homes,” Smith said. “I think right now they’re (Rolling Fork and visiting firefighters) all working alongside but in the beginning, it was primarily the out-of-town guys that were taking care of everything. I think Rolling Fork, their department is gradually working back to where they can respond appropriately.”