A lightning strike Saturday ignited a fire on Cowhouse Island in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge that torched about 50 acres over the weekend but is now close to being contained, according to a press release from the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Folkston. The fire was between Georgia Highway 177 and Swamp Road, said Capt. Brian Varnadore of the Ware County Fire Department. As of 6:37 p.m. Sunday, the fire was nearly fully contained after a bulldozer line had been plowed around it by government fire crews. At their disposal were four dozers, one engine, one helicopter and one fixed-wing aircraft. Operations around the fire were limited Sunday afternoon but evacuations were not necessary, said Teri Land of the U.S. Forestry and Wildlife Services. The Okefenokee Swamp Park was to be open to the public today but mop-up on the fire continues, Land said.