Okefenokee Swamp Fire Raging in South Georgia

FOLKSTON, GA — A massive wildfire burning in south Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp has engulfed more than 200 square miles, causing evacuations as firefighters work in vain to bring the blaze under control.

The fire was started by lightning on April 6 in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Over the weekend, all residents were evacuated in St. George, an unincorporated community of about 2,000 people just east of the swamp. Residents of West Nassau, just across the state line in Florida, were under orders to prepare for a possible evacuation themselves.

A shelter for evacuees has been set up at Camden County Recreation Center.

More than a month after it started, the fire remained only 12 percent contained Sunday, according to fire officials. Dry, windy conditions have made the blaze hard to fight.

On Sunday, the fire remained very active according to firefighters, crossing containment lines and making runs to the east. Many areas were experiencing what firefighters call "reburns," where areas that had been brought under control reignited.

At about 4 p.m. Sunday, a tractor plow being used to fight the blaze was overrun by fire.

In the incident, which happened on the south edge of the fire, the tractor became disabled after running over a large stump. The operator was able to walk to safety and no one was injured in the incident.

At 4:30 p.m. Sunday, the fire's impact area was estimated at 130,942 acres. Of those, about 11,000 acres had burned in just the past two days, fire officials said.

A total of 624 firefighters are working to battle the blaze, according to officials.

Portions of south Georgia and northeast Florida, extending to Jacksonville, are under a heavy smoke advisory due to the fire.

Wildlife experts at Okefenokee say that, for the most part, animals in the refuge should be able to avoid harm from the fire. The swampy nature of Okefenokee provides plenty of water for alligators and other earthbound animals to escape and the birds that call the park home can fly away, they say.

The weather forecast for the area this week called for temperatures that could get up to the mid-90s, with no precipitation expected until the weekend.

Photos courtesy InciWeb