State park reopening after closure due to swamp fire
Published 4:55 pm Thursday, May 25, 2017
- Terry Richards | The Valdosta Daily TimesHeavy equipment is used to prepare Stephen C. Foster State Park near Fargo for possible fire action April 17.
FARGO, Ga. — A state park closed by the raging Okefenokee Swamp fire reopened Friday, according to firefighters.
Stephen C. Foster State Park, located entirely within the Okefenokee National Wildlife Reserve, was closed April 21 as the West Mims Fire spread.
While the fire did reach the state park, none of the structures were damaged, said John Nicholls, firefighter and public information officer for the West Mims command post.
“The park is ready to be reopened,” he said Thursday.
Cabins and campsites can be reserved, but no campfires or charcoal grills will be allowed, according to a statement from the reserve.
Low water levels mean no boating is available right now, and boardwalks remain closed because of firefighting equipment across trails.
The main entrance to the Okefenokee NWR near Folkston remains closed.
The fire, first reported April 6, was started by a lightning strike. The fire’s growth has remained stalled in recent days around 154,500 acres, and the firefighting crew numbered 792 personnel Thursday, down from more than 1,000.
Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.
