From the FEMA website:
A large wild fire south-southwest of Waycross, GA covers about 20,000 acres and is uncontained. There are 25 fire tractors, two National Guard Chinook helicopters, an air tanker from Lake City and two other helicopters from the Forestry Service. They are still unable to get control of the fire. This fire is threatening an unknown number of homes and businesses within the city limits of Waycross, GA. The Forestry Service is looking at various contingency plans. The Okefenokee Swamp Park has been closed and evacuated. All animals that could be evacuated have been sheltered.Other new fires have added to the threats. There is a separate fire northwest of Nahunta, GA which is a 2,000 acre fire; a fire near Nashville GA is over 300 acres; and another 500 acre fire in Fargo, which is near the Okefenokee Swamp, but from another direction. The Fargo fire is not far from the large fire by air miles.
Georgia is so dry that there is a fear that if the fire is not brought under control soon and the swamp begins to burn that it could affect 400,000 acres of the Okefenokee Swamp. (FEMA Region IV, US Forestry Service)
A large wild fire south-southwest of Waycross, GA covers about 20,000 acres and is uncontained. There are 25 fire tractors, two National Guard Chinook helicopters, an air tanker from Lake City and two other helicopters from the Forestry Service. They are still unable to get control of the fire. This fire is threatening an unknown number of homes and businesses within the city limits of Waycross, GA. The Forestry Service is looking at various contingency plans. The Okefenokee Swamp Park has been closed and evacuated. All animals that could be evacuated have been sheltered.Other new fires have added to the threats. There is a separate fire northwest of Nahunta, GA which is a 2,000 acre fire; a fire near Nashville GA is over 300 acres; and another 500 acre fire in Fargo, which is near the Okefenokee Swamp, but from another direction. The Fargo fire is not far from the large fire by air miles.
Georgia is so dry that there is a fear that if the fire is not brought under control soon and the swamp begins to burn that it could affect 400,000 acres of the Okefenokee Swamp. (FEMA Region IV, US Forestry Service)
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According to the US Forestry Service's National Incident Information Center, as of yesterday 17 residences and five outbuildings have burned during the fire. 40,000 acres have burned and it is being called 15% contained. 399 personnel are involved in firefighting efforts. Additionally there are less threatening fires in North Fargo and Knee Knocker Swamp (near Nahunta).
Source: http://www.fs.fed.us/news/fire/mreport.shtml
According to the Georgia Forestry Commission, the Sweat Farm Road Fire is 35% contained. They list 45,000 acres burned and 18 homes burned. The most progress is being made on the south side of the fire. Additionally, a 60-100 ft break has been cut near Manor, GA to protect homes. The lines are holding and there has been very little fire growth observed. As a result, they expect containment to go up. They list the North Fargo Fire as 90% contained and the Knee Knocker Swamp Fire as 95% contained. Both the Okefenokee Swamp Park and the Stephen F. Foster State Park are closed. Although there is no rain in the forecast, winds are expected to decrease and humidity is expected to increase, which should help firefighters make progress.
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The images above are from NASA's earth obeservatory on April 17 and April 19 respectively. They show the smoke plume from the fires.
Below is the current fire danger rating map for the state.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
