(FIREHOUSE) – Firefighters have made progress against the fire in the Okefenokee Swamp, which has not seen significant growth in several days, a firefighter said Wednesday.
The West Mims Fire, first reported April 6, has remained at about 152,000 acres of scorched land for “a couple of days now,” said John Nicholls, public information officer for the fire’s command post.
A storm last weekend which dumped as much as two inches of rain on parts of the fire slowed the blaze’s spread, he said.
“The rain quieted the fire down quite a bit,” he said, “letting us get our firefighters in.”
Almost 1,000 firefighters are tackling the flames, aided by 11 helicopters, four air tankers, 117 fire engines and more heavy equipment, according to a statement from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
No heavy rain is in the area’s immediate future, Nicholls said. The National Weather Service shows the next significant rain chance for the region — 40 percent — comes Sunday.
