Amid the ongoing drought conditions wracking south Georgia, a wildfire was sparked along the Florida-Georgia line Thursday evening, dubbed the Sargent Fire.
The fire, as of the writing of this article, is primarily in Florida, though it has crossed into Georgia. It was at first estimated to be 4,000 acres, but the size was adjusted downward to about 2,700 acres. As of the writing of this article, the fire is 50% contained, with crews using dozers to maintain containment lines.
Both the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) and Florida Forest Service (FFS) have responded, both initially operating under unified command, before a joint Incident Management Team was created.
According to a Sunday Facebook post by the GFC, 140 personnel have been assigned to the incident.
The GFC stated that, at the time, no structures are threatened, though smoke was expected to impact communities. Over the weekend, smoke conditions caused the closure of GA Hwy 94 and FL Hwy 2, between Fargo and Moniac. By Sunday night, it was announced that both roads would be open from 10 a.m.
to 10 pm daily, with overnight closures from smoke and fog.
While the weekend rain may help reduce the fire, the GFC stated that it would not be enough to fully extinguish it.
The Waycross Journal-Herald will continue to provide updates as the situation develops.
