Fire evacuations expanded, made mandatory

Published 7:00 am Tuesday, May 9, 2017

FARGO — Calling the blaze in the Okefenokee Swamp “an extraordinarily dangerous fire,” firefighters Monday urged residents of threatened areas to heed expanded evacuation orders, now made mandatory.

The West Mims Fire grew to more than 133,000 acres by Monday afternoon, pushing south of U.S. 94, according to a statement from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The army of firefighters battling the blaze has grown to more than 620, aided by at least 10 helicopters, four aerial tankers and an armada of heavy machinery.

Voluntary evacuations of the small town of St. George, close to the Florida line, had been urged during the weekend. Now Charlton County officials have made the evacuation mandatory, ordering residents of the St. George and Moniac communities to leave immediately.

Effectively, the entire bulge where Georgia dips down and is surrounded on three sides by Florida near the St. Marys River has been ordered evacuated, said Rita Baysinger, public information officer for West Mims fire command. The county has opened an emergency shelter in Kingsland.

Schools in Charlton County were closed Monday, though classes are expected to resume Tuesday, according to a statement from the Charlton County officials.

The biggest problem with the evacuations is getting people to believe its necessary, Baysinger said.

“Saving lives is our first priority,” she said, “and that includes firefighters’ lives.”

People who stay behind only manage to get in firefighters’ way, Baysinger said.

The dry conditions are fueling the rapidly growing fire, Baysinger said.

“There’s so much heat, the fire gets going early in the morning,” she said.

Dense smoke will reduce visibility in Charlton County and portions of North Florida during the next week, according to the National Weather Service’s Jacksonville, Fla., office.

The fire, first reported April 6, is believed to have been started by a lightning strike. Officials have said it could burn for months.

The Stephen C. Foster State Park, located inside the refuge, is closed, and many activities within the federal refuge have been cancelled or curtailed. U.S. 94, which runs from Valdosta to St. George, is closed in Charlton County.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.