South Georgia & Florida Fires

Wildfires in south Georgia and north Florida have destroyed more than 50 homes, pushed residents out under evacuation orders, and spread smoke across the Southeast. (apnews.com) Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on April 22 for 91 counties and paired it with a 30-day burn ban covering the same area. The order lets the state activate National Guard troops, air assets, and anti-price-gouging rules. (gov.georgia.gov) The biggest Georgia fires are in Clinch and Brantley counties. Georgia Public Broadcasting reported April 22 that the Pineland Road fire had spread to about 16,500 acres, while newer reporting on April 23 said the two major south Georgia fires had grown to nearly 35,000 acres combined. (gpb.org, wabe.org) In Brantley County, the Highway 82 Fire destroyed at least 48 homes and threatened about 1,000 more, according to The Weather Channel’s April 23 report citing the Georgia Forestry Commission. County officials told local television outlets the fire had grown to about 5,000 acres. (weather.com, news4jax.com) The fires are spreading in a part of the country where spring is Georgia’s main wildfire season. Georgia Public Broadcasting said the state’s driest, windiest stretch usually runs from February through May. (gpb.org) Officials have tied this week’s flare-up to a long drought, low humidity, and wind. Kemp said on April 22 that Georgia’s fires had already passed the state’s five-year average, and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said Florida has been in drought for 18 months. (gov.georgia.gov, weather.com) Florida is fighting the same pattern at the same time. The Florida Forest Service said the Railroad Fire in Clay and Putnam counties was 4,406 acres and 60% contained on Thursday morning, while evacuations stayed in place around the Cow Creek Fire in Levy County. (firstcoastnews.com, weather.com) Florida crews were battling more than 130 wildfires statewide as of April 23, with most of the activity concentrated in the northern half of the state. Simpson said this could become one of Florida’s worst fire seasons in 30 to 40 years. (cbsnews.com, weather.com) Federal help is already in play in Georgia. Kemp’s office said the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved Fire Management Assistance Grants for the Pineland Road Fire and the Highway 82 Fire, and a federal incident management team was being called in. (gov.georgia.gov) Smoke has reached Atlanta and drifted into South Carolina, even as crews keep cutting lines and protecting homes near the biggest fire zones. With the Georgia emergency order set to run 30 days unless renewed, officials are warning residents that the fire danger is not over. (weather.com, gov.georgia.gov)