FARGO, Ga. — The heat is on for firefighters battling the inferno in the Okefenokee Swamp.

With daytime temperatures nearing record highs, firefighters are taking precautions against heat-related trouble, said John Nicholls, a public information officer with the West Mims command post.

“We down lots of fluids,” he said. “We go out there with plenty of water bottles and Gatorade.”

The National Weather Service reported highs of 95 for Tuesday and 96 for Wednesday in Folkston in Charlton County, Georgia. That’s running five to six degrees above the average high for those dates, said Nate McGinnis, a meteorologist for the weather service’s Jacksonville, Florida, office.

The 725 firefighters tackling the blaze have procedures in place to deal with any heat-related difficulties, Nicholls said. These range from pulling a stressed buddy into the shade to rest for a couple of hours to medics and ambulances taking more severe cases to clinics and hospitals, he said.

So far, the fire crews battling the Okefenokee blaze have not had any serious heat-related problems, Nicholls said.

The blaze, first reported April 6, has grown to almost 144,000 acres, according to a statement from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Eight helicopters, 73 fire engines, many other pieces of heavy equipment and a DC-10 fire tanker flying out of Chattanooga, Tennessee are attacking the flames, which officials said could burn for months.

The southern half of Charlton County has been ordered to evacuate, and the Stephen C. Foster State Park, located inside the refuge, is closed.

Richards writes for the Valdosta, Georgia Daily Times.