In brief
In Brantley County, Georgia, a wildfire has scorched over 8 square miles and led to the destruction of nearly 90 homes, forcing local officials to mandate evacuations for about 200 residents. The Georgia Forestry Commission has reported the fire is only 15% contained as firefighters work tirelessly to protect properties and combat additional blazes in the area.
NAHUNTA, Ga. (AP) — A wildfire that has charred dozens of homes in southeast Georgia prompted officials to order more evacuations Friday as the growing blaze threatened a wider area and fire crews helped residents hose down properties in a scramble to limit the damage.The fire burning in rural Brantley County has spread across more than 8 square miles since it ignited Monday, fanned by gusty winds into pine woods that are dry as tinder. Nearly 90 homes have been destroyed, some with scorched husks of abandoned cars nearby, among blackened tree trunks and heat-blistered road signs.The Georgia Forestry Commission said the Brantley County blaze was 15% contained Friday. Local officials have ordered evacuations across an expanding area almost daily, including Friday.“If you receive a mandatory evacuation notice, we need you to evacuate just as quickly as possible,” Joey Cason, county manager for Brantley County, said in a Facebook video Friday. “That containment can move from 15% to 0% in a matter of minutes with the wind.”Firefighters are 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.Scientists say the Eastern U.S. is at greater risk of intense wildfires due to factors such as climate change, record drought, and dead trees still littering some Southern forests after being toppled by Hurricane Helene in 2024.Local officials estimate roughly 200 Brantley County residents have been ordered to evacuate, leaving those displaced to worry about animals left behind and whether they will have homes to return to. No deaths or injuries have been reported.While crews with bulldozers work to clear fire breaks around the burning areas, firefighters from dozens of local agencies have focused on protecting nearby homes and other structures — clearing away dry brush and using hoses and sprinklers to keep houses and yards wet.“We’ve definitely had the local fire guys out there literally hosing stuff down,” said Seth Hawkins, a Georgia Forestry Commission spokesperson dispatched to the Brantley County fire.Farther to the west, Georgia’s biggest fire in a sparsely populated area near the Florida state line has burned about 50 square miles. In Florida, firefighters were battling more than 120 wildfires Friday, with crews in Georgia responding to 31 new and relatively small blazes.Officials say soaking rain is needed to snuff out the larger fires as the area is experiencing a 20% to 40% chance of showers and possible thunderstorms over the weekend. However, even that might only slow the fires down, not extinguish them.“Were going to need several inches of rain, and then maybe another blast of several inches, to extinguish this thing,” Hawkins said.
