‘Answered prayer’: Rain finally moves into Brantley County as crews still battle Highway 82 Fire

BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. – Under cloudy skies in Brantley County, residents say they are united by one wish as crews continue working the Highway 82 Fire: rain.

Neighbors told News4JAX they’re praying for steady rainfall to help firefighters knock down hot spots and to bring relief to families trying to return home and clean up after days of smoke, evacuations and loss.

“Buckets. Buckets dropping,” Donnie Corbett, who spent part of the day donating supplies to people impacted by the fire, said.

On Thursday night, officials said the fire was 22,532 acres and 37% contained.

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Amanda Harvey, who said she evacuated with her mother — who is on oxygen — said the uncertainty and cost of leaving home has left her family struggling.

“We’re praying for rain,” Harvey said. “Been praying for rain and for all the firemen out there.”

Harvey said evacuation expenses quickly added up.

“We spent all the savings we had on hotel rooms. Now we have no money for food,” she said. “We’re thankful we didn’t get burnt totally down. A lot of people got burned out of their houses and homes and my heart’s just wrecked.”

Harvey said seeing burned properties along the highway has been painful, especially in a rural community where many families have spent years building what they have.

For Carson Yawn, rain would mean more than comfort. He said he lost his home in the fire, along with some dogs.

“As close to hell as I think you could probably get, but we’re alive,” Yawn said.

He said the immediate future is focused on cleanup and figuring out what comes next.

Yawn said he believes rain is badly needed across the county.

“That’s something we need desperately,” he said. “And I think God’s going to give that to us. He knows we need it just as bad as we know we need it.”

As residents watched the sky, the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office posted aerial video on Facebook showing rain moving across the county, calling it an answered prayer and saying the rainfall provided help for crews working the fire. In the post, the sheriff’s office said the fire was reported to be 33% contained and thanked Chaplain Steve Beal for “covering this community in prayer.”

With more chances of rain in the forecast over the next few days, residents said they’re holding onto hope — for firefighters on the lines, for families still displaced and for neighbors starting over.