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Storm could be 'mixed blessing' for fire-ravaged Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (AP) -- The wildfire threat in the Southeast is so bad that Florida's governor is looking for salvation from what would typically be a nemesis -- a brewing Atlantic storm.
"It could be a mixed blessing," Gov. Charlie Crist said Thursday on CBS.
He said he hopes Subtropical Storm Andrea brings rain -- but not wind -- to help douse dozens of fires that have burned more than 290 square miles across Florida and Georgia.
"The good news is that the winds are dying down from the storm," Crist said. "What we're hoping for is more of the wet stuff." (Watch how drought 'roadblock' feeds Florida fires )
Andrea was stationary early Thursday with 40 mph wind and centered about 130 miles southeast of Savannah, Georgia.
So far, it wasn't promising much rainfall relief, and National Hurricane Center forecasters said it likely would peter out within three days and drop only about an inch of rain. (Full story)
But another storm system that has been causing flooding in the Midwest could bring dousing rains to Florida, where Crist said fires had hit 57 of the 67 counties, burned about seven homes and forced evacuations.
Until the rain starts, the governor urged Floridians near the wildfires to keep trash and flammable debris away from their homes and to stay inside.
Smoke-filled air created a burning smell and a dusting of ashes that coated cars and buildings through much of Florida and southeastern Georgia. The haze over most of Florida forced the closure of several highways and sent people with breathing problems indoors. (Watch how drought has turned much of Lake Okeechobee to dry land )
Crist toured some of the hard-hit areas in north Florida by helicopter Wednesday. He and Maj. Gen. Douglas Burnett of the Florida National Guard emphasized that the Guard has about 11,000 soldiers available and has enough equipment, such as trucks and helicopters, to help Florida through the spring wildfire season.
With its experience in dealing with hurricanes and tornadoes, Crist said Florida knows how to deal with disasters.
"Florida is prepared. Florida is ready. I don't know any state that is more prepared than Florida," he said after the tour.
Crist said 228 fires totaling 80,000 acres -- or 125 square miles -- were burning Thursday in Florida.
In Florida's Bradford County, a wildfire has forced the evacuation of about 250 homes, said Annaleasa Winter, a forestry spokeswoman.
The fire had blackened 16,000 to 18,000 acres and was 35 percent contained by Wednesday night, said Matt Weinell, with Florida's Division of Forestry. So far, only one mobile home had been damaged. One firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation.
Georgia officials issued a mandatory evacuation order in southern Charlton County, saying about 300 homes may be in the path of the state's largest recorded wildfire. It has burned 107,360 acres -- or 167 square miles -- of forest and swampland.
Overcast skies, milder winds and high humidity in southeast Georgia slowed the spread of the fire Thursday. It started April 16 when a tree fell on a power line near Waycross, Georgia.
L.A. officials hope fire will be out by Thursday night
In Los Angeles, firefighters were keeping watch for any potential flare-ups from a wildfire that torched about 20 percent of Griffith Park, but spared popular attractions including the observatory and Los Angeles Zoo. (Watch helicopters douse L.A. fire )
Officials expected the 817-acre blaze to be fully contained by Thursday night and evacuated residents had returned to their homes. "The tide is turning in our favor," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.
Cooler nighttime temperatures helped firefighters rein in the blaze -- the third this year in the urban tinderbox of the Hollywood Hills. Still, officials cautioned a sudden change in the weather could stoke remaining embers.
"It's only a matter of time until we have a really serious, life-threatening fire on our hands in the hills," fire Capt. Carlos Calvillo said. (Full story)
Authorities have questioned a man who was found with second- and third-degree burns on a park golf course as the possible source of the fire, authorities said. The mayor said the man remained a person of interest.
Minnesota wildfire growing
Elsewhere, a wildfire near the Canadian border in northeastern Minnesota flared to more than 34 square miles -- more than 8 square miles bigger than a day earlier.
Greg Peterson, operations team manager, said the fire had destroyed 45 structures and was moving east, deeper into Canada and threatening more homes and cabins in Minnesota.
About 200 to 250 acres of the fire was already in Canada. More than 100 people had been removed from their homes in the path of the fire.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

posted by mhai @ 9:22 AM