Georgia, 2011

Wildfire in Georgia, May 1 to 31, 2011

May 1 to 31, 2011 · NWS JAX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The Honey Prairie Wildfire grew madly through most of May, then was finally 70 percent contained by the end of the month. It had burned about 148,424 acres across much of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS JAX wrote it up.

The Honey Prairie Wildfire grew madly through most of May, then was finally 70 percent contained by the end of the month. It had burned about 148,424 acres across much of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Jacksonville, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 30, 8:00 PM EST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 8:00 PM EST, 4 hours before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
900 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2011

.PUBLIC UPDATER...QUIESCENT WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES WITH CLEAR
SKIES AND COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURES. NO UPDATES PLANNED.

&&

.AVIATION...
VFR THROUGH SUNDAY. BREEZY EAST NORTHEAST WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 15
TO 20 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST SUNDAY
AFTERNOON.

&&

.MARINE...
NO HEADLINES TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE NORTHEAST OF THE AREA WILL
MAINTAIN EASTERLY FLOW AROUND 10 TO 15 KNOTS. SEAS ARE CURRENTLY
RUNNING A GOOD FOOT OR TWO BELOW GUIDANCE WITH BUOY 41112
REPORTING 2 FT SEAS AND BUOY 41012 REPORTING 3 FT SEAS. WILL
LIKELY LOWER SEAS ANOTHER FOOT OR SO WITH THE EVENING UPDATE.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AMG  55  86  59  87 /   0   0   0   0
SSI  65  78  67  79 /   0   0   0   0
JAX  59  83  62  84 /   0   0   0   0
SGJ  65  80  67  81 /   0   0   0   0
GNV  57  88  60  88 /   0   0   0   0
OCF  57  89  62  89 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...NONE.
GA...NONE.
AM...NONE.
&&

ZAPPE/SHULER/PRESNALL
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 30, 8:29 PM EST, 3 hours 31 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
929 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2011

FLZ020>025-030>033-035>038-040-GAZ132>136-149>154-162>166-011000-
HAMILTON-SUWANNEE-COLUMBIA-BAKER-NASSAU-DUVAL-UNION-BRADFORD-CLAY-
ST JOHNS-GILCHRIST-ALACHUA-PUTNAM-FLAGLER-MARION-COFFEE-
JEFF DAVIS-BACON-APPLING-WAYNE-ATKINSON-WARE-PIERCE-BRANTLEY-
INLAND GLYNN-COASTAL GLYNN-ECHOLS-CLINCH-CHARLTON-INLAND CAMDEN-
COASTAL CAMDEN-
929 PM EDT SAT APR 30 2011

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...REST OF TONIGHT...

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE NEXT TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY
WITH THE NEXT FRONTAL PASSAGE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED AT THIS TIME.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN JACKSONVILLE WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/JAX.

ECZ

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Wayne

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
31.551, -81.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Honey Prairie Wildfire complex engulfed much of the Okefenokee Swamp during the month of May 2011. On May 1st, the fire burned about 750 acres. By the evening of May 6th, the fire had burned about 29,852 acres. On May 10th, the fire burned 19,521 acres in 24 hrs, which damaged a total of 81,434 acres. On the 18th, the fire had burned 146,924 acres and was 55 percent contained. Stephen Foster State Park and Swamp Island Drive at the Okefenokee Swamp East Entrance were closed on the 18th. By the 20th, the fire was 66 percent contained. By the 23rd, the fire had consumed 148,424 acres and was 70 percent contained. On the 28th the fire remained 70 percent contained and has burned 149,550 acres. Stephen Foster State Park remained closed. On the 31st, the fire was 80 percent contained and burned 151,995 acres.

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Georgia in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, May 2011

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 294258.