CUMBERLAND ISLAND, Ga. – The Whitney Wildfire on Cumberland Island covered 354 acres within the Cumberland Island Wilderness Area as of Thursday, according to the National Park Service.
The fire was started by a lightning strike on June 29 and is holding south of North Cut Road. Crews have created structure protection in the Settlement and High Point areas, and have held the fire south, so no evacuations have been ordered.
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There are 58 personnel, a helicopter and five fire engines currently working at the scene. Fire operations are now being handled by the Southern Area Gray Incident Management Team.
Over the past two years, Cumberland Island National Seashore’s fire management team has worked to put in place a fuel break along North Cut Road by clearing debris and fuels along the road edge. This created a defensible zone fire crews are using to protect the island’s historic structures and residences to the north.
Fire is a part of Cumberland Island’s ecosystem and occurs at regular intervals as part of the natural fire cycle.
When the fire first started, some campgrounds were closed as a precaution, but have since reopened.