Second Ga. Wildfire Threatens Tiny City
Pastor Dale Morgan
Second Ga. Wildfire Threatens Tiny City*
Friday May 11, 2007 7:31 AM
By RUSS BYNUM
Associated Press Writer
FOLKSTON, Ga. (AP) - A second wildfire in the Okefenokee Swamp has
burned more than 100,000 acres, rivaling in just five days the vast
record-setting fire that has scorched southeast Georgia for more than
three weeks, firefighters said Thursday.
The rapidly growing fire, fed by fast-burning swamp grasses, had been
reported at just 68,650 acres Thursday morning. Though mostly well
within the swamp, it was spreading mostly to the west toward the town of
Fargo, a tiny city of 380 about eight miles west of the swamp.
Firefighters didn't know the exact acreage of the blaze, ignited
Saturday by a lightning strike in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
But Mark Ruggiero, commander of the joint team battling the swamp
blazes, said the fire had grown larger that the 116,480-acre fire
burning since April 16 that was the largest wildfire on record in Georgia.
``It's still in the refuge, but getting real close to breaking the
perimeter,'' he said.
Bobby Kitchens, a firefighting operations chief, said the younger fire
likely grew so quickly because it's burning in the southern part of the
swamp where a 2002 wildfire consumed much of the brush, leaving mostly
grasses that burn more rapidly.
The older fire, burning about two miles north of the refuge
headquarters, has slowed somewhat as it has entered an area of wetter
swamp prairies.
Georgia and Florida have been battling wildfires for weeks, with nearly
300 square miles charred as a drought has left the land tinder-dry.
Smoke-filled air created a burning smell and a dusting of ashes that
coated cars and buildings through much of Florida and southeastern
Georgia. The haze over Florida forced the closure of several highways.
Health officials warned the elderly, small children and people with
breathing problems to stay indoors, although some areas were not as
smoky Thursday. No one has died in the fires and just one firefighter
had minor injuries.
Authorities has been hoping the year's first named storm would bring
rain. But the remnants of Subtropical Storm Andrea were not promising
much rainfall relief - only up to an inch was expected.
A wildfire in Baker County, which started when one of the Georgia fires
jumped the St. Mary's River, kept residents of the tiny community of
Taylor away from their homes for a third day.
Georgia officials issued a mandatory evacuation in southern Charlton
County, saying about 300 homes may be in the path of the state's largest
wildfire since 1957, when record-keeping began. It started April 16 when
a tree fell on a power line near Waycross, Ga., and has burned 116,480
acres - or 182 square miles - of forest and swampland.
Most of Florida's wildfires have been started by lightning, although the
Division of Forestry was investigating nine suspected cases of arson.
In northern Minnesota, high wind fanned a fire around the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
A mandatory evacuation order around the area of the landmark Gunflint
Lodge, just east of the scenic Gunflint Trail that leads from Grand
Marais into the wilderness, was extended Thursday evening another 9
miles east to the area around the Poplar Lake Fire Hall, according to
the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center
Bill Paxton, a spokesman for the firefighting effort, said the fire was
``challenging'' the containment lines. ``They're holding right now,'' he
said. ``We're having some difficulty holding them, but they're holding
now.''
The fire had burned more than 45 square miles and destroyed about 45
structures since it started Saturday. The shifting winds Thursday put
another 100 buildings at risk, fire officials said.
At the Trail Center Lodge, it was a chaotic scene after the owners were
they had to leave, even though they'd had a sprinkler running to help
protect the property. They rushed to pull down items from the walls,
densely packed with everything from trophy fish to zany bumper stickers
to a moosehead.
Kary Graham, a niece of the owners, pulled an armadillo off a shelf and
joked, ``Hey, I saved the armadillo!'' Moments later, she began tearing
up over a wall plastered with snapshots. She was told not to save the
pictures.
``This is the hardest part,'' Graham said as she looked at the wall of
photos.
A squad of elite firefighters was taking command of the blaze, which had
burned its way into Canada. Nearly 450 firefighters were on the scene
Thursday.
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Associated Press writers Brian Skoloff in West Palm Beach, Fla., Ron
Word in Jacksonville, Fla., and Amy Forliti in northern Minnesota
contributed to this report.
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On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov