dred-foot high flames in national wildlife refuge
Keeping the fire contained in the
swamp within established fire lines,
and detecting and extinguishing
“spot fires” that developed outside
the containment lines due to blowing
embers or new lightning strikes. In
some areas, fire crews worked on
thinning vegetation and building
contingency fire lines to further deter
future fire spread.
Firefighting resources can change
on a daily basis, but in this instance,
equipment typically included multiple
helicopters and fixed wing air
Photo by Julia Regeski
tanker s; dozens of wildland fire
engines, bulldozers and tractor
A Lockheed P24V sprayed fire retardent over timber in an effort to keep the fire from
plows; along with several 20-person spreading. The cost to operate these aircraft is more than a million dollars per day.
crews and various overhead
computer programs to predict the next likely move for
and support positions. Aerial attacks were used to
distribute both water and retardant, which, in actuality, the fire.
While some officials said that the fire may burn
is a flame-retardant fertilizer dyed red for visibility
well into the fall, “the idea of when it’s going to be
purposes.
extinguished is purely a guess,” said Lusk. “All we can
One challenge responders faced is the number of
do is take it one day at a time.”
residents that chose to remain within the wildfire’s
Today, thanks to the hard work of firefighting
proximity. Officials stressed that by leaving designated
personnel, officials worry mostly about monitoring
at-risk areas, residents keep themselves safe and
the flames until containment reaches 100percent. All
away from the danger and help officials by giving
county-wide burn bans have been lifted in the area
them the proximity and road-clearance they need;
and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has
but Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Manager
resumed nearly all visitor services.
Michael Lusk suggests that the reason many
chose to stay in the area is complex.
“A lot of people here depend on their land
for income,” said Lusk. “Many are related
to the first ‘swampers.’ … They have a deep
economic and social tie to the area.”
Additionally, because many residents are
so used to witnessing smaller fires in the area,
they hesitate to heed warnings about the
larger, more unpredictable wildfires. “That’s
when we have trouble getting the message
out,” said Lusk.
As has been the case since the fire first
caught, hot, dry, and windy conditions have
Photo by Julia Regeski
made battling the flames difficult for many.
Thankfully, professionals like fire behavior
Firetrucks raced toward the flames which threatened homes, timberland
analysts and incident meteorologists can use
and wildlife.