Fire Information: 912.637.5247, and www.inciweb.org/incident/2214/
Estimated Acreage and Containment
Honey Prairie 155,804 Acres, 70% Contained
Racepond 9,194 Acres, 30% Contained
Cause and Date Started
Honey Prairie: Lightning, 4/28/2011;
Racepond: Under Investigation, 5/25/2011
Resources on the Fires
Honey Prairie: 1 hand crew, 5 Helicopters, 38 Engines, 14 Bulldozers; 5 Water Tenders, 1 Camp Crew, 124 Overhead, 270 total personnel.
Racepond: 2 Helicopters, 19 Engines, 33 Bulldozers; 40 Overhead, 121 total personnel.
There are additional resources not reflected in the above count from private industry and State agencies.
Operational Update
The Racepond and Honey Prairie Fires are managed as the Honey Prairie Complex Honey Prairie: Fire behavior on the Honey Prairie Fire was extremely active. Re-burn continued in most Divisions. Fire on Fiddlers Island was extreme with high flame lengths, crowning, and short range spotting, becoming plume dominated. By 8 p.m. the fire had made a run of approximately two miles to the SSW. The fire jumped containment lines on Fiddlers Island. Resources have been staged at Fargo and along Hwy 94 to hold the fire North of Hwy 94.
Racepond: Racepond fire behavior was extreme with pockets continuing to burn out in the heavy swamp fuels. The fire spotted across Hwy 177 in the afternoon and within minutes began a major run of approximately 1.25 miles to the west, approximately one mile east of Big Turnaround, west of Hwy 177. The fire was worked with a type 1 and a type 2 helicopter. Tractor plow units have been working the flanks at the swamp perimeter.
Plans for Today
Honey Prairie: Improve containment lines. Continue mop up and holding operations in all Divisions. Hold the fire North of Hwy 94 and east of Council.
Racepond: Continue to establish and hold dozer lines along the flanks of the fire. Hold the fire outside the Okefenokee NWR boundary and east of Swamp Road. Continue pre-prepping for structure protection around the community of Astoria. Photos at http://tinyurl.com/643dbbu
Fire Weather
Becoming partly cloudy, with patchy fog and smoke early. Maximum temperatures 95-99 degrees, minimum relative humidity 28-34%. Winds in the morning N-NE 1-4 mph with gusts to 5 mph. Afternoon winds E-SE 8-13 mph with gusts to 22 mph.
Restrictions and Closures
Stephen C. Foster State Park is open for camping and hiking. Current park information is available at 912.637.5274. All public canoe camping, day use boating, and motorized boat use from the Suwannee Canal Recreation Area at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge East Entrance are temporarily suspended. Guided boat, canoe and kayak tours have resumed on limited portions of Suwannee Canal. Contact Okefenokee Adventures 912.496.7156 for tour information. Swamp Island Drive, including the Chesser Island Homestead and Swamp Walk Boardwalk, at the Refuge’s east entrance is closed until the threat of fire is over.
Community Information
A Community Information Hotline is in place in Fargo, GA. The hotline is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, telephone 912.637.5597.
Cooperators
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia Forestry Commission, Florida Division of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, Greater Okefenokee Association of Landowners, Georgia Emergency Management Agency, Rayonier, Superior Pine, Langdale, GDOT, FLDOT, Georgia Aviation Authority, Brantley Co. FD, Ware County FD
06-02-11
20:15 hrs