IN MID MAY.
>> IT COULD BE MID JUNE BEFORE
THE WILDFIRE BURNING IN THE
WILD LIFE REFUGE FULLY
CONTAINED.
THE WEST MIM FIRE HAS SPREAD TO
MORE THAN 46,000 ACRES.
AFTER BEING SPARKED BY
LIGHTNING MORE THAN TWO WEEK
AGO THE FLORIDA FOR INDUSTRY
SERVICE SAYS NOW 4 PERCENT
CONTAINED.
BURNING AT GEORGIA FLORIDA
STATE LINE BORDER OF BAKER WEAR
CHARLESTON COUNTY.
STATE ROAD AT 127 IS OPEN WITH
NO ANTICIPATED ROAD KLESH AT
THIS TIME.
EVACUATION ARE STILL POSSIBLE
BUT NONE ARE IN PLACE JUST YET.
>>> SMOKE FROM THE MASSIVE FIRE
MOVING SOUTH AFFECTING PEOPLE
ACROSS NORTHEAST FLORIDA.
WEATHER AUTHORITY MARK COLLINS
AND KRISTEN BOTH COVERING THE
IMPACT.
WE AGAIN WITH KRISTEN WITH MORE
ON HOW THE TRAVELING SMOKE CAN
FLAME.
KRISTEN.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS AN
OFFICE OUT HERE AT THE
JACKSONVILLE INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT AND TELL 93 THIS SMOKE
CAN BE HARMFUL FOR PERFECTLY
HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS.
METEOROLOGIST HERE TOLD ME THAT
OVERNIGHT THERE WAS A COLD
FRONT AND THE COLD FRONT PUSHED
THE WIND WEST AND IT'S PUSHING
THE SMOKE TOWARDS NORTH
JACKSONVILLE AND START
THANKSGIVING EVENING IT COULD
AFFECT A LOT OF PEOPLE.
>> SMOKE FILLS THE AIR IN
NASSAU COUNTY FROM THREE LOCAL
WILDFIRES BUT MOST OF IT
DRIFTED FROM THE HUGE WEST MIM
WILDFIRE NEAR THE SWAMP.
>> BREATH TAKING.
HARD TO BREATHE.
JUST WAY TOO MUCH SMOKE IN
HERE.
HOPEFULLY THEY HAVE IT UNDER
CONTROL.
>> STEVE IS IN HILIARD.
HE SUFFERS FROM CHEST PROBLEM
AND MAY NEED TO LEAVE TOWN.
>> ITEM HARD TO BREATHE.
THERE'S NO WAY TO GET AWAY FROM
IT.
WALK AROUND WITH OXYGEN.
A LITTLE TOO YOUNG FOR THAT.
>> SHIFT IN WIND PATTERN IS
BRINGING THE SAME SMOKE INTO
NORTHERN JACKSONVILLE NEAR THE
AIRPORT.
LIGHTNING STARTED WEST MIM FIRE
BACK ON APRIL SIXTH.
GROWN TO MORE THAN 46,000 ACRES
WITH JUST 4 PERCENT CONTAINED.
THE PICTURES FROM THE U.S.
FISH WILD LIFE FIRE MANAGEMENT
DIVISION SHOWS SOME OF THE 4 35
PEOPLE WORK TO GO STOP THE
FIRE.
METEOROLOGIST FOR THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IS ALSO ON
SCENE AND WILL ISSUE A SPECIAL
WEATHER ADVISORY IN SMOKE
BECOMES TOO THICK IN THE HEAVY
POPULATED AREA OF JACKSONVILLE.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TELLS
ME THAT WILL LIKELY HAPPEN THIS
EVENING OR TUESDAY MORNING.
IF THAT ADVISORY IS ISSUED
EVERYONE SHOULD STAY INSIDE.
THE SMOKE CAN CAUSE COUGHING
WHEEZING AND DIFFICULTY
BREATHING FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE.
>> EVEN THOUGH THIS SMOKE CAN
EFFECT EVERYONE IT ESPECIALLY
EFFECTS PEOPLE IN HIGH RISK
GROUP INCLUDING CHILDREN,
ELDERLY AND PREGNANT WOMEN.
YOU ARE URGED TO STAY INSIDE.
IF YOU FALL IN THE GROUP BEFORE
THE ADVISORY ISSUED IF YOU SEE
OR SMELL SMOKE IN THE AREA.
REPORTING LIVE IN NORTH
4, THE LOCAL STATION.
>>> MANY KRISTEN.
SO LARGE.
HOW MANY RESOURCES ARE BEING
>> A LOT.
THIS IS SUCH A HARD FIRE FOR
CREWS TO COMBAT AS I MENTION
EARLIER MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE
BUT ALSO 6 HELICOPTERS.
39 FIRE ENGINES.
9 BULLDOZER AND 31 TRACTOR OUT
AT THE SCENE.
REALLY PUTTING ALL THE
RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN TO TRY
TO PUT THIS THING OUT.
TONIGHT.
>> FOLK REMINDER.
BURN BAN STILL IN EFFECT IN
BAKER AND NASSAU COUNTIES.
THAT MEANS YOU CAN ONLY BURN
THERE IF YOU HAVE A PERMIT OR
ON A GRILL IN DUVAL COUNTY YOU
ARE NEVER ALLOWED TO BURN OUT
DOORS.
>>> WEATHER AUTHORITY COLLINS
SAYS THE AIR QUALITY WILL GET
WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER.
>> JOINING US NOW EXPLAIN WHY
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO STAY
MARK.
>> AIR QUALITY IN THE MODERATE
CATEGORY IF YOUNG OR ELDERLY
YOU ARE BREATHING NOXIOUS FUMES
AND THE PARTICULAR AT AND THOSE
TYPE OF PEOPLE THEY ARE VERY
SUSCEPTIBLE TO WHAT IS IN THE
AIR.
NOW THIS IS THE FIRE THAT WE
ARE GOING TO LIKELY BE COVERING
RIGHT THROUGH THE SUMMER.
PREDICTION IS THAT THIS COULD
LAST UNTIL THE END OF SUMMER.
MORE LIKE NOVEMBER BEFORE THEY
GET IT CONTAINED.
AND IT'S SPREADING VERY QUICKL
AND IT'S SPREADING VERY
IT'S SPREADING QUICKLY BECAUSE
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MOISTURE
OR WATER IN THE SWAMP SO A LOT
OF FUELS FOR THIS TO RAPIDLY
SPREAD.
I SHOW YOU THIS HERE THIS
GRAPHIC HERE ACTUALLY SHOWS THE
ACCIDENT OF THE FIRE IN RED.
THIS IS WHERE THIS CURRENTLY
BURNING OVER 45,000 ACRES.
NOW THE FORECAST IN JUST COUPLE
DAYS IS FOR THIS TO NEARLY
DOUBLE IN SIZE.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS THING
IS SPREADING SO QUICKLY TO THE
NORTH AND NORTH WEST SO WHEN WE
TAKE A LOOK AT OVER THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS POSSIBLY ANOTHER
100,000 ACRES COULD BE ADDED TO
THIS FIRE AND IT'S ALL BEING
STEERED BY THE WIND.
WINDS HAVE BEEN FANNING IT.
WHEN IT STARTED ON APRIL 6 IT
NORTH WEST BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT
OF SOUTH EAST FLOOD BUT THIS
WEEK WE ARE GOING NOBODY THIS
WESTERLY PATTERN SO IT WILL
PUSH THE FLANKING EDGE CLOSER
TO FOLKS IN HILIARD.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE
GOING TO BE DEALING WITH FOR
QUITE SOME TIME BECAUSE THERE'S
JOY.
>> THANK YOU MARK.
>>> FOLKS INSIDE THE STORY ON
LINE GET A CLOSER LOOK AT THE
SMOKE FORECAST ALSO A DETAILED
BURNING IN THE SWAMP AND YOU