Hope in the form of rain turned into fear that stronger winds were on the way early on Monday as firefighters faced another hard day battling a massive wildfire along the Georgia-Florida line in the United States.
The wildfire that raced through the Okefenokee swamp in south-east Georgia and into Florida was started by lightning more than a week ago. By early Monday, it had burned 41 481ha in Florida and was 30% contained.
Winds in the area of the Florida fires were expected to be 24km/h with gusts up to 40km/h on Monday, said US Forest Service spokesperson Nina Barrow. Scattered rain showers hit the area of the fire on Sunday, but the extent of the rain’s effect was not clear.
Officials said the smoke was beginning to lift enough on Monday for firefighting aircraft to take off after being grounded all weekend because of low visibility.
Smoke from the fires has plagued drivers in many parts of the state. About 120km of interstates 10 in north Florida and 75 in South Florida were expected to open only intermittently on Monday after being closed much of the weekend, authorities said.
Off the coast of Southern California, continued cool weather on Sunday helped firefighters on Santa Catalina Island maintain control of a blaze that had threatened the resort community of Avalon.
The 17-square-kilometre fire was 76% contained on Sunday and was expected to be encircled by Tuesday evening. One home and six businesses burned on Thursday, but no one was seriously injured.
Elsewhere, a blaze feeding on drought-stricken forest in northern Minnesota was only 15% contained by Sunday. The fire had burned a combined 240 square kilometres in Minnesota and Canada. Meteorologists said there was a 60% chance of thunderstorms on Sunday night. The storms were not expected to bring enough rain to counterbalance the danger from high winds and lightning.
The fire had closed about half of the Gunflint Trail, a key route from Grand Marais into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area wilderness that is dotted with resorts and lake homes.
A fire jumped a defence line designed to keep it away from 20 or so homes on Loon Lake on Sunday, and helicopters dumped water on the flames to contain it. By Sunday evening, fire officials said, the lines were holding and there had been no new losses of buildings.
Officials said the fire had destroyed 133 buildings, including 61 residences. They estimated the value of buildings lost at $3,7-million.
Georgia officials on Sunday also were working a new area of flames in the northern part of the state. The fire covered approximately 81ha, according to Georgia Forestry Commission spokesperson Devon Dartnell. It was believed to have been caused by lightning on Saturday night, Dartnell said. — Sapa-AP