After destroying more than 120 homes, wildfires still a danger, Georgia officials say | Georgia
Two wildfires that destroyed more than 120 homes in southeastern Georgia continued to threaten property and lives on Saturday, as officials warned that strong winds could spread the flames.
Brantley town manager Joey Cason called it a “dynamic situation” and implored residents to “please evacuate” if ordered to do so in a video posted to social media Saturday morning.
“When the winds get here today, the fire will grow rapidly,” he said.
The Highway 82 fire has been raging since Monday and has destroyed at least 87 homes. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Friday it was the highest number for a single wildfire in state history.
The fire started when the foil balloon hit live power lines. This created an electric arc that ignited flammable materials in the ground. A heat-detecting infrared flight was conducted overnight Friday on Friday, helping authorities better map the fire. The fire’s perimeter is more than 14.8 square miles (38.3 km2) and only about 10% is contained, it said in a news release Saturday.
Meanwhile, a second fire about 70 miles southwest in Clinch and Echols counties near the Florida state line has burned more than 121.5 square kilometers and destroyed at least 35 homes. This forest fire, which started with sparks from the welding operation, was brought under control by approximately 10% as of noon on Saturday.
Firefighters are battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida that have sent smoky haze far from the flames and triggered air quality alerts in some cities.
An unusually large number of wildfires are burning across the southeastern United States this spring. Scientists say the fire threat is exacerbated by a combination of extreme drought, high winds, climate change and dead trees that still cover some forests after being pummeled by Hurricane Helene in 2024.
In northern Florida, Nassau County Sheriff’s Office volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews died Thursday evening after suffering an unspecified medical emergency while extinguishing a brush fire. No deaths or injuries due to fire were reported in Georgia.
