About 130,000 acres, or nearly a third of the refuge, have already burned, said Melanie Banton, a spokeswoman for firefighters and park officials battling the West Mims Fire, which began on April 6.
Although the fire has not jumped the St. Marys River, which makes up the state line, authorities have evacuated some parts of Nassau County, Fla., as well.
Davis says that earlier Saturday the St. George emergency manager said the entire unincorporated town of about 2,000 people was under a mandatory evacuation order.
The American Red Cross of Georgia opened a shelter on Monday for evacuees from Charlton County.
The fire has burned roughly 220 square miles (570 square kilometers) since a lightning strike ignited the blaze April 6 inside the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
Flames that pushed within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of St. George over the weekend continued spreading Monday after jumping a state highway not far from the center of their southeast Georgia community. The fire is 12 percent contained.
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge supervisory ranger Susan Heisey said in a statement the small Charlton County communities of Moniac and Canady Loop have been ordered to evacuate.
"She left and went home with us last night because it got close to the crossroads here", Bulgar said.
Bulgar has lived in Saint George all her life.
Sally Yates to offer first public account of Flynn's Russia contacts
She also described Flynn's "conduct" as "problematic", but would not elaborate. Other events unfolded outside the hearing.
"I'm not going to leave", McCoy said.
Some 535 personnel had been assigned to fight the fire, along with 10 helicopters, 55 fire engines, bulldozers and other equipment, the statement said.
"We were anxious then about evacuating", Bulgar said.
A fire truck passes as a plume of smoke rising from a wildfire burning, Monday, May 8, 2017, just outside the town of St. George, Ga.
The fire was forecast to continue to burn actively Monday, with high rates of spread that could move rapidly through commercial timberland outside the wildlife refuge.
Once Firefighters Parker and Watson finish up their 48 hours, Crisp County will send two more firefighters to relieve them.
Charlton County says in a news release Sunday evening, "First responders are NOT coming door to door, because they are fighting this approaching fire to try to save homes".
"Florida is in the middle of its worst wildfire season in years - with no end in sight", Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam told CBS Miami.
Comments