Second Ga. wildfire passes 100,000 acres in Okefenokee
A second wildfire in the Okefenokee Swamp has burned more than 100,000 acres, rivaling in just five days the size of a 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.
The exact acreage of the blaze, ignited Saturday by a lightning strike in the swamp, wasn't known. But Mark Ruggiero, commander of the joint team battling the swamp blazes, said the fire had grown larger that the 116,40-acre fire that has been burning since April 16 - which had been the largest wildfire ever recorded in Georgia.
"It's larger than the original fire," Ruggiero said Thursday evening. "It's going through down toward Fargo. It's still in the refuge, but getting real close to breaking the perimeter."
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.
The exact acreage of the blaze, ignited Saturday by a lightning strike in the swamp, wasn't known. But Mark Ruggiero, commander of the joint team battling the swamp blazes, said the fire had grown larger that the 116,40-acre fire that has been burning since April 16 - which had been the largest wildfire ever recorded in Georgia.
"It's larger than the original fire," Ruggiero said Thursday evening. "It's going through down toward Fargo. It's still in the refuge, but getting real close to breaking the perimeter."
