
Firefighters working to put out Fort Stewart wildfire
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    Fort Stewart foresters continued working Friday morning to contain a wildfire in a heavily forested training area on the Army post.

    The Army had to shut down a tank range on the post so foresters could dig ditches and build firebreaks to keep the blaze from spreading.

    They were unable to fight the fire head-on because of danger posed by unexploded tank and artillery shells the area, said Kevin Larson, a Fort Stewart spokesman.

    Larson said foresters believe the wildfire started several days ago. He could not say how large an area it’s covering. However, the fire appears to be confined to a remote area of the sprawling Army post.

    ‘‘It’s pretty much in the center of post, in the training area,’’ Larson said. ‘‘It’s not spreading or getting bigger.’’

    Foresters intially planned to wait for rain to extinguish the fire, but decided to contain it after clouds of smoke drifted over nearby highways and the city of Pembroke, reducing visibility on the roads.

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