Barry Helps Tame Wildfires in Ga., Fla.

WAYCROSS, Ga. – Tropical Storm Barry and its remnants gave a much-needed soaking to thousands of acres of burning swamp and timberland in northern Florida and southeastern Georgia.

Though Saturday’s rainfall – as much as six inches in some spots – was a tremendous help, residents living near the fires should not be complacent, said Larry Morris with the joint information center in Waycross.

“It’s still a live fire. Contained does not mean controlled, and it does not mean extinguished,” Morris said.

Morris estimates that the fire, which crews have battled for more than a month, is now about 85 percent contained.

Barry, which weakened to a depression Saturday morning, left between three and six inches of rain across the region.

The rain was not enough to put out the blazes, but officials said the moist conditions allowed firefighters to focus on hot spots spared by the rain and on areas that are already beginning to dry out and could potentially catch fire again.

Two large fires have charred more than 600,000 acres, or roughly 937 square miles, of swamp and timberland since a tree fell on a power line south of Waycross on April 16 and then a lightning strike inside the Okefenokee Swamp on May 5 ignited the second blaze.

The fires destroyed about 30 homes and prompted several evacuations, which had all been lifted by Sunday.

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the part of the Osceola National Forest north of Interstate 10 remained closed Sunday.