Georgia wildfires threaten residents as strong winds raise spread risk

Two wildfires in southeastern Georgia continue to threaten homes and lives, with officials warning Saturday that strong winds could rapidly spread the flames.

Brantley County Manager Joey Cason called it a “dynamic situation” in a social media video, urging residents to “please evacuate” if ordered.

“This fire is going to move rapidly, once these winds get here later today,” he stated.

The Highway 82 Fire, burning since Monday, has already destroyed at least 87 homes. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Friday this marks the most for a single wildfire in the state’s history.

The fire was started by a foil balloon hitting live power lines. That created an electrical arc that ignited combustible material on the ground. An infrared flight that detects heat was conducted overnight Friday, helping officials to better map the fire. A Saturday news release said the fire’s perimeter is more than 14.8 square miles, and it is only about 10% contained.

Meanwhile, a second fire about 70 miles (113 kilometers) to the southwest in Clinch and Echols counties, near the Florida state line, has burned more than 46.9 square miles and destroyed at least 35 homes. Started by sparks from a welding operation, that wildfire was also about 10% contained as of midday Saturday.

Firefighters have been battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida that have sent smoky haze into places far from the flames, triggering air quality warnings for some cities.

An unusually large number of wildfires are burning this spring across the Southeast. Scientists say the threat of fire has been amplified by a combination of extreme drought, gusty winds, climate change, and dead trees still littering some forests after being toppled by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

In northern Florida, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews died on Thursday evening after he suffered an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire. No fire deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia.