Firefighters Valarie Lopez, left, and Mark Tabaez work to cool hot spots after a wildfire burned a hillside Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, in Clayton, Ga. On Tuesday, the Tennessee Valley Authority issued a burn ban on its public lands across Tennessee and in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia. U.S. Forest … Continued
John Bazemore / Associated Press
An audio version of this story.
Georgia’s wildfire season is underway, and true to form, a major blaze is burning land in the southern part of the state.
The West Mims fire has scorched more than 36,000 acres around the Okefenokee Swamp.
It’s just over 4 percent contained.
“Even though we got some rain yesterday, and we’re seeing a little bit more rain in central and northern Georgia, it’s not enough to get us out of the danger zone, if you will,” said Wendy Burnett, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Forestry Commission.
Officials say they hope to have the fire completely out by mid-June.
“We are monitoring the situation and we’re keeping local residents in the area informed,” Burnett said.
More than 400 crew members are fighting the fire.
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