FOLKSTON, Ga. – Officials say a huge fire in the Okefenokee Swamp on the Georgia-Florida line was not quenched by rainfall from a recent storm.
The wildfire that has burned more than 150 square miles (389 sq. kilometers) on public lands in the Okefenokee National Wildlife refuge got an estimated 0.1 inches (2.5 millimeters) of rain Monday night from a line of thunderstorms crossing southeast Georgia.
Georgia Forestry Commission spokeswoman Susan Granbery said Tuesday at least 3 inches (76 millimeters) of rain in a single, sustained burst is needed to put out the blaze.
More than 460 firefighters and support personnel are working to contain the fire inside the Okefenokee refuge. That number could increase as a new multi-agency team trained to tackle more complex fires takes command later in the week.
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