Tag Archives: Okefenokee Swamp

More than 100,000 acres and Billy’s Island in West Mims Fire 2017-05-03

We got smoked here in western Lowndes County yesterday and this morning 60 miles from the West Mims fire as it went up to 107,846 acres in and around the Okefenokee NWR. Many of the fire-fighting numbers went down since last post: remember, the goal is not to put the fire out, rather to contain it. As I write, a big storm just went over here heading that way, so maybe mother nature will take a hand today.

The Valdosta Daily Times has been covering this fire right along, most recently by Terry Richards, VDT, 2 May 2017, Rain barely felt at massive swamp fire,

FARGO — A mild rainfall Monday had little to no impact on the West Mims Fire burning through the Okefenokee Swamp, according to a firefighter.

The blaze, which had burned more than 100,000 acres by Tuesday afternoon, received about a tenth of an inch of rain from a weak cold front that moved through South Georgia Monday.

“It didn’t help,” said Leland Bass, a firefighter and public information officer for the Georgia Forestry Commission.

Maybe they’ll get more rain in the swamp today. Continue reading

All the way to GA 177: West Mims Fire 2017-04-30

Well, this keeps escalating, now 96,248 acres, including some on Billy’s Island, opposed by 499 personnel, 6 helicopters, 57 wildland fire engines, 6 dozers, 37 tractor plows, and 2 interagency hot shot crews, according to InciWeb today. Some crews came from as far away as Denver, according to CBS Denver 26 April 2017, and the smoke has spread as far as North Carolina.

Fire Map, InciWeb, 2017-04-30
InciWeb map, West Mims Fire, 2017-04-30

Today’s InciWeb release does claim Continue reading

Videos: More people, equipment, and smoke: West Mims Fire Okefenokee update 2017-04-16

Naturally a party of people we know were paddling across the Okefenokee Swamp over the weekend, but far north of the fire, so they had no problems, getting out just before the overnight stops in the Okefenokee NWR close today. Apparently they could see skyglow of the West Mims Fire on the southern horizon at night. Meanwhile, smoke has been seen as far north as North Carolina and I can smell it in Lowndes County, 60 miles west of the fire.

InciWeb map
Map by InciWeb, 16 April 2017.

Hannah Patrick, WWAYTV3, Wilmington, NC, 16 April 2017, Strong winds drive smoke from Georgia Wildfire into NC,

Multiple media outlets report that the National Weather Service in Raleigh said southwest winds pushed the smoke up Sunday from the southeast Georgia fire.

The Division of Environmental Quality air quality index number for the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill hit the orange alert level Sunday. That means people who are sensitive to air quality should stay inside.

Officials believe the smoke is coming from the Georgia fire and not one in McDowell County, North Carolina, that the U.S. Forest Service said was about 85 percent contained as of Sunday.

InciWeb says the number of personnel has increased to 184, the number of engines to 17, and the number of tractor plows to 27; still 5 dozers and one hot shot crew. However, the acreage burned has increased to 18,551, with still only 3% contained, and the same estimated containment date two months out of Thursday June 15th, 2017 approx. 12:00 AM.

The fire still seems to be staying within the mile-wide buffer zone around the NWR established by the Okefenokee-Osceola Local Implementation Team.

Before we and our ancestors massively modified the environment of the U.S. southeastern coastal plains, back when there was a longleaf pine forest from southern Virginia to eastern Texas, lightning-lit fires would burn for many miles and many days.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

West Mims Fire in Upper Suwannee River watershed in Okefenokee Swamp 2017-04-15

Now is not a good time to stay overnight in the Okefenokee Swamp, or to travel at night between Fargo and Moniac, because of smoke.

Lightning started the West Mims fire Thursday, apparently west of Moniac, Georgia in Baker County, Florida. That was in the St Marys River watershed, but the fire has since expanded west and north into the upper Suwannee River watershed and Ware County, Georgia. According to today’s update from InciWeb, the Incident Information System, the fire now involves 13,000 acres and is only 3% contained. Even with 110 firefighters and a variety of equipment, the estimated containment date is two months from now: “Thursday June 15th, 2017 approx. 12:00 AM”. It is a southern fire forest, after all.

Incident Map
Map from InciWeb 2017-04-15. Approximate Location 30.574 latitude, -82.323 longitude.

It’s probably best not to go there at night, since InciWeb says: Continue reading

WWALS Okefenokee Billys Island Outing 2016-12-10

Bittern closeup 30.8347222, -82.3436111 Gators, herons, hawks, and a very hard-to-see bittern, all before Billy’s Island in the Okefenokee Swamp, on a WWALS monthly outing, 10 December 2016.

A few WWALS videos and many pictures and a google map below: Continue reading

Walter Parks, Swamp by Chandelier

You won’t hear this every day. Thanks to Flint Riverkeeper Gordon Rogers for pointing to these Okefenokee Swamp hollers by Walter Parks.

And don’t forget WWALS has an outing 10AM this Saturday December 10th at Georgia’s Stephen C. Foster State Park on the Suwannee River near Fargo, GA, to paddle into the Okefenokee Swamp. Continue reading

Pictures, Pioneer Day, Okefenokee NWR 2016-11-19

WWALS and Satilla Riverkeeper Rachael Thompson of Satilla Riverkeeper invited WWALS to Pioneer Day at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge near Folkston, Georgia. Rachael showed children how watersheds work. They played the WWALS froggy toss game. Endangered species puppets paraded. Houdini the rat snake was a hit. And there were gators.

Rachael Thompson of Satilla Riverkeeper, John S. Quarterman of WWALS, Ash of SRK

More pictures below. Continue reading

Cancer in Waycross and the upper Suwannee River watershed

At least the Waycross cancer problem is finally getting some news media attention. Brenda Goodman and Andy Miller, Georgia Health News, October 20, 2016, Why are kids in Waycross getting cancer? (Part One of Special Report),

Fourteen-year-old Lexi Crawford was attacked by lower back pain so sharp that she couldn’t even sit up to eat. Her mother had to bring her food while she was lying flat on her back. Doctors in Waycross, GA, the town where she lives, thought it was a kidney infection. But after months of antibiotics didn’t clear it up, a visiting doctor in the local ER suggested an X-ray.

What he saw on the scan was terrifying.

Continue reading

Anhinga Trek on the Georgia Southern Rivers Birding Trail

Sites in WWALS watersheds include Paradise Public Fishing Area (PFA) at the headwaters of our Withlacoochee River, Reed Bingham State Park on our Little River, Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area (WMA) upstream from our Alapaha River, and Stephen C. Foster State Park at the headwaters of our Suwannee River in the Okefenokee Swamp, all on the Anhinga Trek of the Southern Rivers Birding Trail.

You can buy a license for any of these parks or WMAs from the state, and you can also see anhingas and other fascinating wildlife on our water trails.

Or come along on upcoming WWALS outings: Continue reading

Redoux Suwannee River Roline to Cypress Creek, 2016-09-03

Update 2016-09-04: “We’re on for Monday morning! River excellent condition,” says expedition leader Phil Hubbard.

Update 2016-09-02: Delayed until 10AM Monday 5th September due to aftereffects of Hurricane Hermine.

Update 2016-09-01: Watching Tropical Storm Hermine.

More people want to go after the pictures and reports from a few weeks ago, so WWALS has scheduled a redo from Roline to Cypress Creek on the iconic Suwannee River in north Florida. Also with a slightly later start this time; more convenient for far-away folks.

When: 10AM Saturday September 3rd 2016

Put in: Roline Launch, 30°33’51.0″N 82°43’30.6″W or 30.564185, -82.725167

Duration: 7.5 miles, about 4 hours.

Events: facebook, meetup.

Directions: Continue reading