BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. – It may be years before some families in Brantley County return to normal. For some, that day may never come. But two weeks after schools closed because of wildfires, students got the chance to go back — and one 9-year-old had a message for everyone around her.
News4JAX anchor John Asebes first met Aleaha Croft at the same road where firefighters and police had been stationed during the evacuation. Her family had stopped there after being blocked from returning to their home on Highway 110 North.
On Aleaha’s first day back at school, Asebes surprised her — microphone in hand — for a follow-up interview.
“It’s like scary and weird,” Aleaha said of returning after two weeks away. “If you’re already over there and at your house and everything, then it’s kind of weird because you stay too long at your house. You get used to staying at your house.”
Her grandmother, who was also at the school, shared a similar mix of emotions.
“It was good. It was scary. But it was good, too,” she said.
A sign outside the school expressed support for the first responders who battled the wildfires. Asebes noted that Aleaha and her brother are more fortunate than some of their classmates, some of whom may still be dealing with the aftermath.
Aleaha closed with a simple message for her community: “Stay strong and pray and maybe try to help people.”
The school district said resources for students dealing with trauma are available. Officials also said parents do not need to rush their children back to school.