BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. – Residents evacuated since Tuesday described the shock of fleeing the Highway 82 fire as the evacuation zones expanded and more families were forced from their homes.
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The wildfire entered its seventh day Monday as authorities widened evacuation zones, sending people to donation sites and temporary shelters with little more than pets and a few essentials.
“It’s something you can’t process. Until you see it with your eyes, you’re just in disbelief,” Brantley County residents Victoria Holloway and Sherry Houston said.
Some residents said they had to leave with almost no time to pack. Holloway said she and her family have been out since Monday afternoon and were grateful they rescued their animals.
“It was crazy. You don’t think about everything — what you should have grabbed, what you could have grabbed, what you didn’t get. But just thankful that we got our animals and us,” Holloway said.
Houston said her home burned Tuesday afternoon.
“My mom and dad lived there 40 years, and to see it go is hard. That’s the only home my children have known,” she said.
At a local donation site, displaced families searched for clothing, toiletries and paperwork they will need to rebuild. Residents urged others facing evacuation to act quickly and prioritize safety.
“Get what you absolutely need. Everything else is replaceable — your family and your pets, you know. Follow orders. Even when it’s voluntary, go ahead and have everything ready. Make sure you have all documents, insurance papers, anything at all,” Holloway said.
As more families prepare to leave, those already displaced said the support from neighbors and volunteers is helping them through an uncertain time.