Wildfires continue to burn across drought-ridden South Georgia
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A helicopter flies over a landscape charred by the Highway 82 fire in Brantley County on April 23. Photo: Courtesy of Sean Rayford/Getty Images
More than 50,000 acres have been torched and over 100 structures have been destroyed as two massive wildfires rage in South Georgia.
The latest: The Pineland Road fire in Clinch County, located in southeast Georgia, is only 10% contained and has burned over 32,000 acres, according to numbers released Sunday by the Georgia Forestry Commission.
Zoom in: In Brantley County, the Highway 82 fire has eaten away more than 20,000 acres and just 7% of the blaze is contained.
- Gov. Brian Kemp said Friday in a press conference it's believed that fire began April 20 when a balloon landed on a power line and created a spark.
- The forestry commission said the Pineland Road fire was started when a stray spark from a welding project fell to the ground in the forest.
By the numbers: At least 87 structures have been destroyed by the Highway 82 fire and another 35 have been ravaged due to the Pineland Road blaze, according to the AP.
Driving the news: 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.
Catch up quick: Kemp last week declared a state of emergency for 91 counties in central and south Georgia.
- The state Forestry Commission also issued a burn ban for those 91 counties through May 22.
- Kemp said he knows it's "aggravating for people" to not be able to burn debris in their yards, but complying with the ban will help preserve resources.
- "Any fire that breaks out that we have to go chase ... takes resources away from us dealing with these devastating fires that potentially can burn another home," he said.
Zoom out: In the last 30 days, the state Forestry Commission has responded to over 800 wildfires that have burned 43,578 acres, director Johnny Sabo said Friday.
The big picture: Kemp said the two wildfires in Georgia have been ranked the most dangerous in the country, and "we believe these two fires have created the most lost homes in the history of our state."
What we're watching: There's not enough rain in the forecast over the next few days — or even through July — to make a dent in the wildfires, Sabo said.
- "One thing that I cannot stress enough is even if we receive an inch of rain, these fires aren't even close to [being] out," he said, later adding "it is going to take...8 to 10 inches [of rain] before we can walk away from these fires."