WARE COUNTY, Ga. -- An overnight wind shift drove smoke from the wildfires in southeast Georgia through Atlanta and on up to Chattanooga, Tenn., Sunday as another 10,000 acres added the total burn to 56,000 acres, the Georgia Forestry Commission said.

The fire has proven to be the second-worst on record in southeast Georgia.

"It's pushing very hard toward being the largest in recorded history," said Byron Haire of the Division of Forestry.

The wildfire, believed to have started from a downed power line on April 16, is 39 percent contained, but continues to spread, Sharon Dolliver of the Georgia Forestry Commission said.

An estimated cost for the fire is at $1.4 million. Loss of timber is at $65 million, according the Georgia Forestry Commission.

Commission spokesman Eric Mosley said Saturday's lighter winds out of the east were pushing the flames away from Waycross. The city of more than 15,000 people is just northeast of the massive blaze.

People in the smaller communities of Manor and Homerville, which are now in the fire's path, have been asked to be alert and watch for the approaching fire.

Mosley said firefighters had a good day Sunday.

"We were able to get a lot of firebreaks laid," said Mosley. "Unfortunately, we have to work with the weather. We are really just praying for rain."

He added that in the afternoon more problems arose when the heat spit fire a bit ahead of itself.

Crews were at the scene and a few air tankers from Lake City, Fla., dropped retardants trying to cool off the fire.

"Hopefully it will give us a chance to get a firebreak around it. We hope to contain that small spot fire pretty quickly," Mosley said

Mosley said no new evacuations were requested after about 1,000 people were forced to evacuate last week, and 5,000 more were urged to evacuate their homes voluntarily on Friday because of potential health hazards from heavy smoke blowing into Waycross.

Last week, the large fire had spread to within less than half a mile from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, one of the nation's best-preserved wetland areas.

Refuge spokeswoman John Calabrese said the ecosystem there is fire-dependent, so fire inside the refuge, "wouldn't be such a bad thing" for plants and animals there, some of which are protected species.

Another, smaller fire burned 5½ miles away from the refuge after burning about 2,500 acres near the town of Fargo in southeast Georgia. That fire was about 90 percent contained as of Saturday.

According to school board officials, Ware County schools will not hold classes on Monday because of weather reports and the possibility of smoke reentering the area, making travel difficult.

"It's an abnormal situation. I don't know if you can ever make up those kinds of days," said Ware County Superintendent Dr. Joseph Barrow.