VALDOSTA — Firefighters are working tirelessly to contain fires that have already burned thousands of acres in Ware and Brantley Counties and continue to threaten Okefenokee Swamp Park and Stephen Foster State Park.

More than 200 firefighting professionals from the Georgia Forestry Commission, in addition to firefighting agencies from throughout South Georgia including Valdosta, Lowndes County, Ray City, Berrien County, Waycross and Ware County, are battling the blazes that have blackened more than 20,000 acres and destroyed several homes in Ware County, according to Eric Mosley, public information officer for the GFC.

The first and largest fire began Monday, April 9, south of Waycross. Named the Sweat Farm Road Fire, this blaze consumed 20,000 acres by Wednesday after doubling in size from the 10,000 acres it had destroyed by Tuesday. At least 14 confirmed homes have been destroyed by the fire, and 1,000 citizens were evacuated Tuesday. Both Stephen C. Foster State Park and the Okefenokee Swamp Park have also been evacuated due to fire danger, as the fire moves toward the southeast at one mile per hour, according to Mosley.

“This one will go into the history books of wildland fires in Georgia,” said Frank Sorrells, GFC Waycross district ranger. “We’re pulling equipment and personnel in from all over Georgia, and more are on standby to put out this dangerous fire.”

In southern Clinch County, the North Fargo Fire has cleared 500-600 acres since it began Tuesday and is moving southeast into Okefenokee. Firefighters have seen little to no containment of the Sweat Farm Road or North Fargo Fires, according to Mosley.

The Knee-knocker Fire also began April 9 in Brantley County and has destroyed 2,000 acres so far. The fire is 25 percent contained, but continues to threaten surrounding areas.

This season’s unusual weather and high winds have created dangerous conditions leading to these three fires, which have already consumed enormous amounts of fuel. The average fire in South Georgia clears only five acres and is fully contained within hours. Authorities have not yet determined how the current fires were started, but Mosley stated that the main concerns right now are safety and containment and the investigations will most likely begin once the fires are fully extinguished.

In order to continue to burn, fires need a combination of oxygen, fuel and heat, and firefighters work to take away one of those necessities in order to contain the blaze. To fight the current blazes, firefighters are working to eliminate the fuel by using bulldozers to till up the soil surrounding the fires so that as soon as the flames reach that point, there is no fuel left to consume and the fire extinguishes itself. Helicopters, airplanes and engine hoses are also used to pour water onto the flames to cool the fire down, but recent dry weather and winds are making the fight difficult for the agencies. The Sweat Farm Road fire doubled in size within two hours, according to Mosley.

“Conditions have been extremely dry and the humidity remains very low,” Sorrells said. “Winds are out the northwest at about eight to 10 miles an hour, so that’s pushing the fire further south.”

Smoke from the wildfires is affecting areas as far away as Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Fla.

Ray City firefighter Rick Pennock spent more than 12 hours battling the wildfires on the front lines Tuesday.

“When we got to the rehab area we thought we would have an hour to rehab, but we only had 20 minutes and then we got a call and we went to another side of town to help,” Pennock said.

The Valdosta Fire Department responded Monday with assistance in combating the wildfires in Ware and Brantley Counties and sent a crew and pumper truck to the front lines after receiving the request for help from the Waycross Fire Department.

City Manager Larry Hanson said the assistance from the VFD may be needed for several days, but that the city of Valdosta is committed to assisting for as long as necessary as replacement crews are being shuttled daily by van.

“We were among the first responders to offer mutual aid, and we are committed to providing the support our sister cities need to protect their communities,” Hanson said.

VFD Battalion Chief John Wisenbaker stated that though the fires have progressed, the VFD firefighters have been instrumental in protecting valuable property. Though assistance is expected to continue through at least the remainder of the week, the VFD has all engine companies running and ready to respond to local emergencies.

The vast fires have received national attention over the past few days and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has responded to Gov. Sonny Perdue’s request for assistance by making funding available Wednesday to help contain the wildfires.

“We are taking the appropriate steps to protect our citizens and the natural resources within the Okefenokee Swamp,” Perdue said.

The state’s request for federal fire suppression aid was approved by FEMA for the 20,000 acre Sweat Farm Road fire.

The American Red Cross and local emergency management officials continue to operate a shelter at Ware County Middle School in Waycross where 31 people were housed Tuesday evening. Under the authorization, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs.

Federal fire suppression aid is provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires when they threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible state firefighting costs covered can include expenses for emergency equipment, supplies, operations centers, firefighter safety items, mobilization costs and other firefighting needs.

Citizens are urged to stay out of the areas affected by the wildfires and to stay clear of emergency vehicles.

Under normal circumstances any outdoor burn requires a permit from GFC and those burning without permits can be held responsible for any damage caused and fined. GFC is currently not issuing any burn permits for the South Georgia area, according to Mosley.

Sorrells is urging residents close to these fires to stay tuned to new reports and refrain from any outdoor burning until further notice.



Highway closures

The Georgia Department of Transportation has closed several state routes and has put detours in place in Clinch and Ware Counties due to smoke from a fire in and around The Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge Area.

In Clinch County State Route 89 has been closed from the Homerville Truck Bypass to Fargo. The detour route is as follows: Traffic traveling south on SR 89 from Homerville will be detoured west onto the Homerville Truck Bypass to SR 187; turn left (South) onto SR 187 and travel to SR 11 in Mayday; turn left (South) on SR 11 and travel to SR 94 in Statenville; turn left (East) on SR 94 and travel to Fargo.

SR 177 has been closed from SR 94 to the Okefenokee Swamp Park.

In Ware County State Route 38/US 84 (Valdosta Highway) has been closed from mile post 2.5 in Manor to mile post 15.7.

SR 122 has been closed from mile post 4 at Manor/Millwood Road to mile post 15.2. The detour is as follows: Traffic is currently detoured to SR 520.

SR 177 has closed from SR 4/U.S. 1 to the Okefenokee Swamp Park.

SR 4/U.S. 1 is open but visibility is somewhat reduced by smoke. Travelers are asked to proceed with caution.

There is currently no timeline for reopening these roads, and more closures may become necessary.