Kemp declares state of emergency over South Georgia wildfires
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Ninety-one counties are under a state of emergency as wildfires continue to burn in South Georgia.
Why it matters: The state of emergency declared by Gov. Brian Kemp, which runs for 30 days, allows agencies to deploy resources to affected areas.
- Up to 150 Georgia National Guard troops will help with response and recovery.
The latest: Affected counties are mostly in the southern half of the state, but do include central Georgia counties Bibb, Laurens and Peach.
- According to Kemp's executive order, the Georgia Forestry Commission has responded to more than 90 wildfires since April 18.
- As of Wednesday, about 16,500 acres in Clinch and Echols counties have burned and only about 10% of the fire is contained, the executive order says.
- In Brantley County, a fire along Ga. 82 has scorched more than 5,000 acres and only 10% of the blaze is under control.
- FEMA approved the state's request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant to fight both fires.
- The Georgia Forestry Commission on Wednesday issued a burn ban for the 91 counties through May 22.
Zoom in: The state is experiencing the warmer, drier conditions of a La Niña weather pattern, Georgia Forestry Commission fire chief Thomas Barrett previously told Axios.
- Downed timber from Hurricane Helene has dried out, creating heavy fuel loads that burn hotter and are harder to contain.
- Barrett said the commission counted more than 4,100 wildfires this fiscal year on state-protected lands: everything excluding national parks and military installations.
Zoom out: Close to 50 homes have been destroyed in Georgia in the fires, which have also prompted school closures and evacuations, according to the Associated Press.
State of play: The fires were so intense that smoky and hazy conditions were reported Wednesday in metro Atlanta.
- The city's air quality was ranked "moderate" Wednesday morning, but rose to "unhealthy" by noon, the AJC reported.
What we're watching: The NWS forecast calls for patchy smoke to hover over Atlanta on Thursday. The agency said on X that hazy conditions are expected to remain until the weekend, when rain is forecast for the metro area.