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100,000-acre fire in wildlife refuge forces evacuations in Georgia

CHARLTON COUNTY, Ga. — A second round of evacuations is underway because of a swamp fire raging in south Georgia.

The communities are on the edge of Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

The flames have already burned more than 137,000 acres in the area. The wildfire is only about 12 percent contained.

Randy Dukes told Channel 2's Liz Artz that he was evacuated from his Charlton County home Monday evening, taking a car load of belongings he and his wife packed up.

[PHOTOS: 100,000-acre fire in wildlife refuge forces evacuations in Georgia]

Artz said the area was smokier Tuesday. Authorities told her the blazes were raging even more.

80 peoople had been evacuated as of Tuesday afternoon.

"Pictures and clothes, and my antique gun. That’s about it," Dukes said about what he had packed up. "I stayed out there as long as I could."

Dukes said he had no choice but to leave his cats behind.

“I’m a little worried about my cats," Dukes told Artz.

Artz stopped by a shelter Monday evening set up for south Georgia residents, like Dukes. As wind direction changes and more evacuations come the Red Cross shelters are prepared to house as many people as needed.

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"It’s been burning like a month it seems like. It could have been put out by now," Dukes said.

Monday afternoon, everyone living in the Moniac area was evacuated because of the fires.

"I got a call that there were 100 foot flames and it was coming towards town again and I got here and it's glowing," Chasidy Bulgar said.

Bulgar has lived in Saint George all her life. She said for the first time, her family has had to evacuate because of a fire.

“It's the worst we've ever seen. We've dealt with fires. What I can remember, we had a bad fire in 1999 and a lady lost her house. We were worried then about evacuating,” Bulgar said.

Her grandmother, who lives only a block from where Highways 94 and 121 intersect, was forced from her home Sunday night.

"She left and went home with us last night because it got close to the crossroads here,” Bulgar said.

More than 600 firefighters from across the country are now working to control the wildfire, which has burned more than 137,000 acres in south Georgia.

Fire crews told us late Monday afternoon they are strongly encouraging everyone who lives in the Moniac area to evacuate.

Bulgar's grandmother lives less than 3 miles away.

“My plan is (stay) here until they tell us it is so close we have to leave. And then we will get her and we'll go back to my house in Florida,” Bulgar said.

The fire broke out in early April from a lightning strike. It aggressively moved south Sunday, burning an additional 4,000 acres and jumping across Highway 94 at Boggy Break.

"I will pull her out before it's time. If she loses her house that can be replaced, but she cannot," Bulgar said.

Fire crews have used 10 helicopters, bulldozers, fire engines and plows to fight this fire.

#WestMimsFire. #Okefenokee No words.... taken 15 minutes ago on Highway 94

Posted by Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on Monday, May 8, 2017