Overview
Wildfires that have burned through rural southeast Georgia this week have destroyed more than 50 homes and other structures and put at least 1,000 additional buildings at risk, officials said on Thursday. Thick smoke and haze from the fires extended northward, reaching the Atlanta area about 260 miles (418 km) from the blazes.
Scope and location of the fires
Three separate fires are responsible for the damage and smoke. The largest, the Pineland Road Fire in Clinch County, began in mid-April and had consumed roughly 29,000 acres by Thursday. The Georgia Forestry Commission reported it was about 10 percent contained. The area affected by that fire includes stands of pine trees that had been planted for timber production.
Nearby in Brantley County, the Highway 82 Fire grew rapidly after starting on Monday. Officials said it reached about 5,000 acres and was 15 percent contained on Thursday. The fire had increased from around 700 acres on Tuesday morning to roughly 5,000 acres by Wednesday night, county officials said. Homes were destroyed and others remained under threat in the path of that blaze.
A third blaze, the Railroad Fire near Jacksonville, Florida, covered about 4,000 acres and contributed heavy smoke that moved north and added to a haze over central and eastern parts of Georgia.
Response and local impacts
Hundreds of firefighters from approximately 20 Georgia fire departments were working to control the fires on Thursday. The terrain includes rural pine forests and scrubland interspersed with small neighborhoods, fruit farms and livestock operations near the Georgia-Florida state line. One firefighter was reported injured, while officials said no civilians had been hurt as of Thursday.
Authorities issued both mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders affecting hundreds of residents. Local schools in the impacted area were closed at least through Friday. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in response to the situation.
Brantley County manager Joey Cason cautioned about the potential for winds to worsen conditions, saying firefighters were concerned about afternoon winds spreading flames across forests that were dry from drought conditions. Cason said,
"I will be very honest with you. It’s a miracle that we have not had any lives lost,"noting the rapid growth and threat to communities.
Florida officials pledged to provide additional support by sending manpower from the Florida National Guard and firefighting equipment to assist in suppression efforts.
Ongoing conditions
Containment remained limited at the major fires as crews continued to work in challenging conditions. The combination of large burned areas, proximity to timber stands, agricultural properties and residential pockets has concentrated impacts on the local landscape and communities while smoke spread over a broad regional footprint.