Officials battling two large wildfires in southern Georgia say firefighters are bracing for a long battle even after weekend rains boosted their containment efforts. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp toured the fire areas Tuesday and told reporters that “we're going to be in this for a while.” That's after rain Sunday gave crews an opening to improve containment of a fire in rural Brantley County from 6% to 32%. Officials said that fire has destroyed more than 80 homes. Georgia Forestry Commission director Johnny Sabo said crews have held the second fire in Clinch and Echols counties to roughly the same footprint for days. That fire has burned across more than 50 square miles.
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One of two large wildfires in southeastern Georgia continues to grow and now exceeds 31 square miles. The Highway 82 Fire has been burning since April 20 and as of Saturday had destroyed at least 87 homes. Officials say Sunday that it was only 7% contained. Brantley County Manager Joey Cason says in a Facebook post that the fire doubled in size from Saturday night and will be further impacted by the wind. Cason also said evacuation notices could be issued and residents should heed them. A second fire about 70 miles to the southwest, near the Florida state line, had burned more than 46 square miles as of Saturday.
Two wildfires in southeastern Georgia continue to threaten homes and lives as officials warn that strong winds could spread the flames. Brantley County Manager Joey Cason posted a video to social media calling for people to “please evacuate” if they get an order to do so. The Highway 82 Fire has been burning since Monday and has destroyed at least 87 homes. The fire’s perimeter is more than 14.8 square miles. Meanwhile a second fire about 70 miles to the southwest in Clinch and Echols counties has burned more than 46.9 square miles and destroyed at least 35 homes. As of Saturday both were only about 10% contained.
Officials say a volunteer firefighter has died battling a wildfire in Florida, while two large fires in Georgia have destroyed more than 120 homes. The sheriff's office in Nassau County, Florida, said Friday that volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews died Thursday after suffering an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire. Meanwhile, crews are battling two large fires in southeast Georgia that Gov. Brian Kemp says have destroyed 120 homes. Fire officials say thousands more remain threatened. Kemp said no other wildfire in Georgia's history have burned so many homes. He said investigators believe the fire in rural Brantley County was sparked by an aluminum party balloon touching power lines.
AP Wire
Fallen trees and limbs scattered across Georgia by Hurricane Helene more than a year ago are now helping fuel destructive wildfires in the state. Georgia officials say wooded areas in the state's bottom half are packed with debris from the hurricane. Blustery winds and an ongoing drought also are helping ignite and expand the fires in both Georgia and Florida. Hundreds of people have been forced from their homes near Georgia’s coast. A wildfire there has destroyed more than 50 homes and is threatening many more. The fires have sent smoke drifting over several states in the Southeast, leading to air quality warnings as far away as Columbia, South Carolina.