BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. – Hundreds of Brantley County residents are still waiting for the all-clear to return home as wildfires continue to grow past 7,500 acres, destroying 87 homes in the process.
Many evacuees have spent the better part of the day parked outside Satilla Grocery along Highway 82, watching a thick plume of smoke build to the east and waiting for word on whether they still have a home to return to.
“I wanted to come and check to see if I still had a house,” said Sandra Harter, a Brantley County resident. “This is the first time I’ve been back here, and I can’t get down there. I thought I was gonna be able to get down where I could see, but no go.”
Some families say they haven’t seen their homes in days, leaving with only what they could carry to get out safely. For at least one couple who lives along Highway 82, this marks the second evacuation this week.
David Grantham, whose home sits directly in the path of the fire, said his family’s priority was staying safe while they figure out their next move.
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“Our plan right now was just to regroup here, see how this develops, and after it unfolds, we’re going to make a better plan,” Grantham said. “Right now, it was to make sure that we were all safe.”
While residents wait, the community has rallied around them. The Salvation Army is continuing to provide meals, and firefighters are working around the clock to bring the fires under control.
Avery Strickland, owner of Satilla Grocery, has also been a key resource for firefighting crews — providing both water and lake access throughout the emergency.
“We’ve supplied about 200,000 gallons of water,” Strickland said. “We have a big whale, so we’ve been supplying water. We also have a lake; they’ve used the lake to get water, but it’s been a huge tragedy for the county.”
For Sandra Harter, the uncertainty about her home has not broken her spirit. When asked whether she knew if her house was still standing, she offered a perspective that resonated with many around her.
“I don’t. I really and truly don’t, and if I don’t, I’m still here,” Harter said. “If you got out, that’s it. That’s the most important thing — you got out — because all that’s materialistic and it can all be replaced, but you cannot.”
Firefighters continue working to contain the blaze as residents remain on standby, bracing for what they may find once officials give the green light to return.