BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. – A balloon from a child’s party landing on a powerline caused an arc that is believed to have sparked what is now one of the largest wildfires in Georgia’s history, according to Gov. Brian Kemp.
He said the Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County has now consumed about 7,500 acres and remains just 15% contained.
Kemp said the Pineland Road Fire in Clinch County and the Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County currently rank No. 1 and 2 in the country.
The Pineland Fire has burned more than 31,000 acres, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. It is 10% contained. It’s believed that fire was sparked by someone welding a gate.
“We’ve got the two most dangerous, biggest, problematic fires anywhere in the United States within just a very small area that we’re having to fight, so as you can imagine, it’s a lot for us to have to deal with,” Kemp said during a news conference after surveying the Brantley County wildfire response on Friday afternoon.
Kemp surveyed the wildfire response along with the Georgia National Guard and other state leaders before holding the news conference at the command center at the Waycross-Ware County Airport.
According to the Georgia Forestry Commission, the Brantley County fire has caused the most significant home loss that the state has ever experienced from a single wildfire.
As of Friday, at least 87 homes have been destroyed, some with scorched husks of abandoned cars nearby, among blackened tree trunks and heat-blistered road signs.
More than 800 homes remained in harm’s way.
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.
The wildfire exploded Tuesday, destroying dozens of homes within hours.
The number of homes lost in the fire increased on Thursday from over 50 to more than 85, but Georgia Forestry Commission spokesperson Seth Hawkins explained that most of those homes were lost on Tuesday in that initial eruption.
“That increase in the homes destroyed was actually a result of just further investigation and increased access to the burned area,” Hawkins said. “So that number, more than likely, though, most of those homes of that number were burned on Tuesday, Tuesday afternoon and evening.”
RELATED: Here’s how you can help Brantley County families who have lost homes in massive blaze
Brantley County Manager Joey Cason noted that despite confirmed losses, far more homes have been saved than lost.
With approximately 225 firefighters deployed for structure support, Cason said crews would work to protect homes — but stressed that residents under mandatory evacuation orders must leave.
Brantley County curfew
The Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that a curfew will be in place from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
The curfew covers the east side of the Satilla River from the Atkinson area to the Waynesville area, including Highway 110, Highway 259, South Highway 110 South, and Browntown Road.
“We’re basically trying to make sure when it gets dark, we don’t have any concerns about these tractors possibly hitting someone that’s on a mobile vehicle, or that we don’t have anyone in the area that’s not supposed to be,” Brantley County Manager Joey Cason said.
‘Fire is definitely on the move’
After good relative humidity recovery across the area Thursday night, winds Friday will be out of the SW at 5-7 mph, and humidities will drop below 30% through the day, Brantley County officials said.
That means an increased chance of fire activity during the heat of the day, which could force additional mandatory evacuations. A mandatory evacuation order was issued Friday morning for Browntown Road to Old Post Road at Highway 32 to Highway 110. (scroll down for the current list).
“This fire is definitely on the move,” Hawkins said. “Hopefully, Mother Nature plays nice with us today, and the winds do as they’re supposed to do. Yesterday, they got a little gusty, got a little turny on us in the afternoon.”
Cason also warned that an easterly wind shift could push the fire across the Satilla River.
“If the winds shift and come out of the East, then we have a definitive concern about this fire jumping the river,” he said. “The winds will have to shift dramatically for it to move in that direction today.”
Cason called the battle to gain control of the blaze a “dynamic situation,” noting that it continues to intensify and could jump another road too.
“We’re really stepping up the game now as far as adding other support items that can come in. We’ve got more trucks, hopefully more tractors on the way today,” Cason said in an update posted on Facebook.
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.
On Thursday afternoon, a mandatory evacuation was ordered for Highway 110 to the Satilla River between Coffee County Club Road and Drury Lane as well as Highway 110 from Highway 32 to Lane Cemetery Road to include from Lisa Lane to the Satilla River.
Cason urged everyone who gets a mandatory evacuation notice to leave as soon as possible.
A re-entry plan is being developed but has not been implemented, and there is no re-entry into affected areas at this time, officials said.
Though the structural damage continues to rise, no deaths have been reported.
Mandatory evacuations
At least 25 people have moved into shelters, and officials expect that number to grow as conditions change on Thursday.
The Brantley County Sheriff’s Office says mandatory evacuations have been issued for the following neighborhoods:
- Highway 110 from Highway 32 to Lane Cemetery Road to include from Lisa Lane to the Satilla River
- Highway 110 to the Satilla River between Coffee County Club Road and Drury Lane
- Browntown Road from Highway 82 to Greenleaf on the west side of the highway
- Browntown Road to Old Post Road at Highway 32 to Highway 110
- GA-110 (Yellow Pine Rd) to Thrower Rd
- Happy Hollow
- Drury Lane
- Drury Court
- Coffee Co. Club Road
- Warners Landing
- Oak Woodlands
- Atkinson Road
- Godberry Lane
- Brushing Creek
- Fort Mcintosh to Highway 520 on both sides of the road
- Browntown Rd and Hawks Landing neighborhood
Before you leave, the Sheriff’s Office reminds residents to take medications, IDs, and important documents and to check on neighbors who may need assistance.
They urge everyone in the mandatory evacuation areas to leave early and avoid the closure area if possible, follow all posted detours and directions from responders and expect delays and increased emergency traffic.
Those who need extra time to evacuate — including people with pets, livestock or medical needs — are urged to leave now. Others should be ready to go at a moment’s notice if conditions worsen.
The recommended evacuation route is Highway 32.
Resources & challenges
The Sheriff’s Office said resources continue to arrive hourly, and more personnel are currently on scene than at any point since the fire broke out.
Currently, there are 59 fire departments from across the state working specifically on structure protection efforts, as well as 20 dozers and eight type 6 engines. Air resources include small and large helicopters and large air tankers.
“We have had some issues up on the north end of the fire just because there’s a lot of cypress bogs, and that obviously creates access issues for our heavy equipment,” Hawkins said. “So that has been kind of a pickle to solve.”
He said that creating fire containments lines is key to controlling the spread of the fire.
“Our containment lines consist of either burning out or removing fuel, fuel breaks or, you know, obviously bulldozers and tractors going in and just digging down to that bare mineral soil because that soil can’t burn necessarily, right. At least not as readily as leaf litter and pine needles and stuff. So the idea with a fire break and a containment line is just getting a nice solid line that that fire could not maybe spot back across,” Hawkins said. “We’re just trying to our best to wrap this thing in a containment line and hold the line until we get some solid rain.”
Which isn’t in the forecast any time soon, unfortunately.
Areas where the two big wildfires are burning in Georgia have a 20% to 40% chance of showers and possible thunderstorms over the weekend.
That might produce enough rain to slow the big fires down, Hawkins said, but won’t extinguish them. And lightning from thunderstorms could spark more fire, he said.
“We’re going to need several inches of rain, and then maybe another blast of several inches, to extinguish this thing,” Hawkins said.
The Georgia Department of Corrections shared a post on Facebook about its inmate fire teams that are helping fight the wildfire.
The wind shifts and extremely dry conditions have made it hard for the crews to gain control of the fire.
Blair Joiner with Georgia Forestry said the agency began pulling data on the state’s weather conditions several months ago.
“We saw this coming,” he said. “This is nothing that we did not see coming, as far as the drought conditions. I will say this is the eighth driest year since 1895.”
Cason told News4JAX during an interview on The Morning Show on Thursday that “it’s all about the wind.”
WATCH: Video captured Tuesday at the height of the wildfire flames in Brantley County
“We have quite a few tractors here behind us right now that are about to be deployed. They feel like if this wind stays down this morning, that they’re going to be able to hopefully get a containment line around it,” Cason said.
But Cason warned that the winds have been picking up around 11 a.m. each morning.
“If the wind’s blowing from the south to the north, we’ve got folks that are in the line of the fire,” Cason said. “They will need to be ready to evacuate.”
The fast-moving fire threatened roughly 1,000 homes on Wednesday after destroying dozens a day earlier in the rural county that is roughly midway between Georgia’s coastal beaches and the Okefenokee Swamp.
The area is dotted with livestock and fruit farms as well as thick stands of planted pines grown for timber.
Pine and hardwood forests in the region are helping charge the fires, said Seth Hawkins, a spokesperson for the Georgia Forestry Commission, and swampy lowlands with thick layers of leaves and woody debris are “super flammable” when they dry out.
Huge plumes of smoke are blanketing the area as wind-fueled flames consume brush and trees left dry from the ongoing drought.
The bottom half of Georgia is perilously dry, prompting the state’s forestry commission to issue a burn ban for the first time in its history. The 30-day burn ban is for the southern part of the state.
Georgia has seen just 11 inches of rain since the beginning of September — almost 15 inches below normal, the National Weather Service said.
The conditions are making firefighting efforts difficult, and officials continue to warn that the situation could change quickly, so everyone needs to be prepared for possible evacuations.
Cason said all the firefighters in Brantley County are volunteers, and some have stayed out battling the blaze, despite losing their own homes.
Schools closed
Brantley County Schools will be closed on Friday for all students and staff, the district announced.
“We are continuously monitoring and working with safety teams to plan a safe return to school for our students and staff. Our hearts are with families who have lost homes, and we want to continue to extend our appreciation for the selfless work our emergency responders and safety teams throughout these long days of battling the fires,” the district wrote.
The wildfire prompted students from two schools to be evacuated on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.
Students from Waynesville Primary and Atkinson Elementary were relocated to the Brantley County Middle School gym in Nahunta, where they were supervised by school staff.
Local, state, federal response
FEMA announced the approval of grants for Georgia to battle the blazes as officials watch closely to make sure the fire does not jump the Satilla River.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency across 91 South Georgia counties, mobilizing federal, state, and local resources to help fight the fires and support impacted communities.
He released the following statement:
“With much of Georgia remaining in extreme drought conditions, wildfires have already surpassed the state’s 5-year average and continue to spread. My team and I are working closely with Georgia State Forester Johnny Sabo and his team, along with federal, state, and local officials, to ensure we are doing everything possible to combat the fires and provide assistance to affected communities. We are praying for the families who have lost their homes in these devastating conditions, as well as for the first responders working around the clock.”
Over 20 fire departments are responding to the massive blaze and extending relief to the many fire crews trying to get a grip on the wildfire.
Cason said the blaze moved so fast on Tuesday that some families were evacuated with minutes to spare.
“There were literally evacuations that were taking place with people removed by our EMS service from the porch as the fire was in their backyard,” Cason said. “It was a very rapidly moving fire yesterday afternoon.”
Georgia Forestry also lost one tractor in the fire, and one firefighter was injured but is expected to recover, Cason said.
The fire is currently impacting multiple areas, including the Atkinson Community, east of the Satilla River, Highway 110 West south of Coffee County Club Road, Highway 110 East south of Gallberry Road, Old State Road 259 to the Satilla River and Browntown Road, and Browntown Road to Crosby Lane.
Officials want residents on both sides of Highway 82, north and south, west of 110 and west of 259 to be packed and ready to go.
During a noon news conference Wednesday, the Brantley County Sheriff echoed that urgency.
“These winds may shift rapidly which may create unpredictable fire behavior, so just stay alert. And for the public, be prepared to evacuate immediately. And for those of you who need extra time for pets, livestock and medical needs that may make you take longer to evacuate, you should leave now if you’re in those affected areas. All others should be ready to leave immediately if conditions worsen,” said Sheriff Len Davis.
Stay out of active fire locations
Fires are burning in several areas across the county, including:
- Highway 110 West to south of Drury Lane
- Highway 110 East near Gallberry Road
- Old SR-259 to Satilla Estates
- Highway 82 to Satilla River to Browntown Road
Mandatory evacuations are in place in several areas, and officials are warning people to leave immediately if they’re in those zones.
They’re also asking civilians to stop operating ATVs and other vehicles in the impacted areas because the reduced visibility makes it dangerous for them and for first responders.
“Everyone is strongly urged to stay ouf of all affected areas to allow crews to opearte safely and effectively,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Fire officials are also urging people who see flames in new areas or outside the visible fire lines to call 911, with smoky conditions expected over the next few days.
You can find a map showing the active wildfires here.
Road closures: Where to avoid
Several roads are closed or should be avoided due to active fire activity:
- Waynesville Road to Highway 110
- Waynesville Road to Highway 259
- Highway 110 West to Happy Hollow
- U.S. Highway 82 from the intersection of Highway 301 in Nahunta to Browntown Road
These closures are in place for public safety and to allow emergency crews to operate effectively. Avoid these areas completely, as emergency vehicles and equipment are actively operating in these areas.
Expect detours and significant travel delays.
Heavy smoke may reduce visibility in and around these routes.
Shelters open for displaced residents
The following locations are open and providing food and water:
- American Red Cross — 100 Genoa Martin Drive, Selden Park Complex, Brunswick, Ga. (opens at 12 p.m. Friday; no pets allowed)
- Hortense Church of God — 6756 Highway 32 East, Hortense, GA 31543
- Southside Baptist Church — 550 School St., Nahunta, GA 31553 (day and night shelter)
- Nahunta United Methodist Church — 107 E. Cleveland St., Nahunta, GA 31553 (day shelter)
- Little Memorial Baptist — 106 Little Memorial Road, Hortense, GA 31543
Residents are encouraged to head to the nearest shelter if they need to evacuate. Anyone in immediate danger should call 911.
For a full list of current shelters and updates, residents can visit the Brantley County Government Facebook page.
Smoke advisory guidance
Residents in affected areas should take the following precautions due to smoke:
- Stay indoors with windows and doors closed
- Use air conditioning on recirculate mode
- Limit outdoor activity
- Wear an N95 mask if going outside
- Sensitive groups should take extra precautions
- Drive slowly with low-beam headlights on
Residents with non-emergency questions can call 912-462-2480 or 912-462-2481.