VALDOSTA - Smoke from fires in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia spread hundreds of miles because of unusual winds from the east, casting a haze as far away as Montgomery, Ala., Monday. <br>
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The Georgia Forestry Commission was fighting three wildfires sparked by lightning and fanned by drought conditions that have burned nearly 29,000 acres. <br>
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The forecast for southeast Georgia Monday night and Tuesday called for partly cloudy skies with areas of smoke and light southeast winds that bore the smoke to the west. <br>
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Dr. Lynne Feldman of the district Office for Public Health in Valdosta cautioned those with chronic respiratory problems to be aware of the conditions. Feldman said they should attempt to limit their exposure to the smoke by staying indoors, using air conditioning or air filters. <br>
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Buck Kline of the Forestry Commission said one of the fires had been burning for almost two weeks. It spread rapidly over the weekend and had consumed 20,600 acres in the south central portion of the swamp, according to information from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. <br>
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Kline, chief fire ranger in Lowndes County, said 85 people were battling the blaze on the Fargo side of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Firefighters have relied on helicopters to drop water on the area, while preparing fire breaks around the perimeter of the refuge, he said. <br>
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Most of the land west of the refuge is timber land with planted pines.
