UPDATE:

The Honey Prairie Fire expanded to the South on Monday.  By late afternoon Monday, a mapping flight which included the northern edge of the fire calculated total acreage burned at 81,433 acres.  A 3,000 acre helicopter initiated burnout utilizing the Suwannee Canal as a natural fire break is being monitored daily to assess its capability to halt or slow the northern progression of the fire along the eastern edge of the Refuge.

The Florida Division of Forestry staff along with support from local timber companies, Georgia Forestry Commission and Refuge resources assigned to the fire had a very busy day along the southern flank near the Florida- Georgia border. Burn outs of forested areas North of Florida Highway 2 were initiated to expand the size of this existing fire break.

A Public Meeting in St. George, Georgia, just east of the Florida Highway 2 at Baxter, Florida, provided updated maps, a program of information about the fire presented by members of the Incident Command Team, provided a forum for about 40+ interested citizens to ask specific questions and voice their concerns regarding the fire.  A very similar Public Meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight in Fargo, Georgia at the elementary school.

The northeastern portion of the fire is approximately two miles from Chesser Island and 12 miles southwest of Folkston, GA. The westernmost flank of the fire is approximately eight miles east of Fargo, GA

WEATHER

Temperatures are expected to reach 94 today.  Winds will be out of the southeast shifting to the south later in the day.  The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies during most of the day with a 20% chance of thunderstorms through the mid and late afternoon.

SMOKE FORECAST

Southeast winds will move smoke toward to Fargo, Ga. today. Motorists should be aware of the possibility of dense smoke on all roads near the South and West east sides of the Refuge

PERSONNEL:

There are about 170 personnel working on the fire who represent 3 Federal, 7 State and 3 private companies.   

As a precaution, all day use boating and boat tours from the Suwannee Canal Recreation Area at the refuge’s east entrance, are temporarily suspended.  Also, the Swamp island drive is closed to allow firefighters to install waterlines to protect the boardwalk , viewing platforms, and the historic Chesser Island Homestead should fire enter this forested upland island. Swamp Island Drive will be reopened when the threat of fire is over. Visit http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee for the latest fire information. Fire photos and videos are posted on the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Facebook page.