EPThttp://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-05-07/story/swamp-fire-jumps-10000-acres-overnight-and-predicted-continue-growing
+ Show Spoiler +
Swamp fire jumps 10,000 acres overnight and predicted to continue growing
Posted: May 7, 2011 - 4:10pm
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-05-07/story/swamp-fire-jumps-10000-acres-overnight-and-predicted-continue-growing#ixzz1LnFe06gt
The Honey Prairie Fire in the Okefenokee Swamp burned at least 10,000 acres overnight Friday, growing from 30,000 at sunset to 39,000 by the time officials flew a morning aerial surveillance, said Jim Burkhart, a fire information officer at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
“It’s just moving with the winds,” Burkhart said.
With winds coming out of the west or southwest, the fire is moving toward the eastern boundary prompting officials to move resources to the Suwannee Canal Recreation Area south of Folkston. Guided boat tours along the canal are temporarily suspended as are canoe and kayak rentals.
Swamp Island Drive is closed so that crews can protect the historic Chesser Island Homestead from the approaching fire, Burkhart said.
Crews will wrap the historic wood house and outbuildings in a protective foil blanket to prevent it from catching fire as they did in the massive fire of 2007, he said.
Workers at some point will wrap the rustic and historic cabin on Floyd’s Island deep in the swamp, a layover those on cross-swamp canoe trips call the Floyd’s Island Hilton.
Stephen C. Foster State Park, near where the fire started, has been closed since Thursday so Georgia Forestry Commission firefighters can install a sprinkler system to protect park offices, picnic shelters and cabins there.
Most of that is in place, and the Forestry Commission brought in a water cannon and more sprinkler equipment Saturday, Park Manager Travis Griffin said.
“We’re glad to have all the help,” Griffin said.
The fire, which started April 28 from a lightning strike, has blanketed an area in smoke all the way to the coast that shifts with the wind.
“It put a lot of ash out here last night,” Burkhart said.
As they did when the fire was moving toward the western boundary near Fargo in Clinch County, crews are now working on fire breaks on the eastern side to keep the fire inside the refuge boundaries.
“You just prepare yourself for it to come out and then fight it back in,” he said.
Refuge Manager Curt McCasland quoted J.T. Steedley who had retired after a career with a private company in Clinch County, who said, “Lightning starts it, rain puts it out and the rest of us just mess around with it in the middle.”
Burkhart said that pretty much sums up swamp fires because, like the Honey Prairie Fire, most are in terrain virtually inaccessible to fire crews.
The fires are beneficial, however, because they burn out growth that can choke waterways, such as the thick shrub-scrub vegetation where the fire started.
“If Mother Nature decides to do some landscaping, all you can do is just stand back and watch, and save buildings and timberland when you can,” Burkhart said.
There was rain on the fire Friday but it appears to have had little effect.
“It’s going to take a lot of rain,” Griffin said.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-05-07/story/swamp-fire-jumps-10000-acres-overnight-and-predicted-continue-growing#ixzz1LnFhVc1q
Posted: May 7, 2011 - 4:10pm
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-05-07/story/swamp-fire-jumps-10000-acres-overnight-and-predicted-continue-growing#ixzz1LnFe06gt
The Honey Prairie Fire in the Okefenokee Swamp burned at least 10,000 acres overnight Friday, growing from 30,000 at sunset to 39,000 by the time officials flew a morning aerial surveillance, said Jim Burkhart, a fire information officer at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
“It’s just moving with the winds,” Burkhart said.
With winds coming out of the west or southwest, the fire is moving toward the eastern boundary prompting officials to move resources to the Suwannee Canal Recreation Area south of Folkston. Guided boat tours along the canal are temporarily suspended as are canoe and kayak rentals.
Swamp Island Drive is closed so that crews can protect the historic Chesser Island Homestead from the approaching fire, Burkhart said.
Crews will wrap the historic wood house and outbuildings in a protective foil blanket to prevent it from catching fire as they did in the massive fire of 2007, he said.
Workers at some point will wrap the rustic and historic cabin on Floyd’s Island deep in the swamp, a layover those on cross-swamp canoe trips call the Floyd’s Island Hilton.
Stephen C. Foster State Park, near where the fire started, has been closed since Thursday so Georgia Forestry Commission firefighters can install a sprinkler system to protect park offices, picnic shelters and cabins there.
Most of that is in place, and the Forestry Commission brought in a water cannon and more sprinkler equipment Saturday, Park Manager Travis Griffin said.
“We’re glad to have all the help,” Griffin said.
The fire, which started April 28 from a lightning strike, has blanketed an area in smoke all the way to the coast that shifts with the wind.
“It put a lot of ash out here last night,” Burkhart said.
As they did when the fire was moving toward the western boundary near Fargo in Clinch County, crews are now working on fire breaks on the eastern side to keep the fire inside the refuge boundaries.
“You just prepare yourself for it to come out and then fight it back in,” he said.
Refuge Manager Curt McCasland quoted J.T. Steedley who had retired after a career with a private company in Clinch County, who said, “Lightning starts it, rain puts it out and the rest of us just mess around with it in the middle.”
Burkhart said that pretty much sums up swamp fires because, like the Honey Prairie Fire, most are in terrain virtually inaccessible to fire crews.
The fires are beneficial, however, because they burn out growth that can choke waterways, such as the thick shrub-scrub vegetation where the fire started.
“If Mother Nature decides to do some landscaping, all you can do is just stand back and watch, and save buildings and timberland when you can,” Burkhart said.
There was rain on the fire Friday but it appears to have had little effect.
“It’s going to take a lot of rain,” Griffin said.
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-05-07/story/swamp-fire-jumps-10000-acres-overnight-and-predicted-continue-growing#ixzz1LnFhVc1q
It's fuckin horrible outside...ashes are falling constantly and your inhaling smoke with every breath you take, its unbearable. Time to SC2 the rest of the day....
We had a wildfire a couple years ago that was bad, we are in such a drought stricken area that whenever a fire props up, it's gonna be there a long time most likely.
Couple pictures of what its like outside:
![[image loading]](http://i56.tinypic.com/b7f31f.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i54.tinypic.com/qnvgav.jpg)
how long does these typically last?
