Georgia ? A wildfire fueled by dense, dry trees and brush spread rapidly through a swamp Tuesday, and firefighters tried to contain it before it could spread to nearby homes.

The fire, less than 10 miles southeast of Waycross, sent up a towering cloud of smoke near the entrance to the private, nonprofit Okefenokee Swamp Park. Wildfires have burned 53,000 acres, or about 67 square miles, of forest parched by drought here in the past eight days.

Firefighters tried to slow the blaze by igniting underbrush ahead of it, hoping the fires would merge and burn each other out by competing for fuel. They also hoped that U.S. 1, a four-lane highway, would keep the fire from spreading to homes.

Eric Mosley, a spokesman for the Georgia Forestry Commission, said there was no immediate need to evacuate residents. The fire appeared to be moving away from Waycross, a city of 15,300.

The park is separate from a federal wildlife refuge where managers have said the wildfire is beneficial.