A fast-moving wildfire in Brantley County, Georgia, has destroyed at least 47 homes and threatens 300 more, according to county manager Joey Cason. The fire grew roughly six times in size over half a day, prompting at least 800 evacuations and the opening of five shelters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported. The Independent reports that more than 50 homes have been destroyed across the state, though the exact total remains unconfirmed as officials continue to assess damage.
The Georgia Forestry Commission issued its first mandatory burn ban in state history, effective across 91 counties in the lower half of Georgia. The ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including campfires and debris burning, as dry conditions and high winds fuel the fires. Governor Brian Kemp said on social media, "My office and I are working closely with the Georgia Forestry Commission to respond to the increasing threat of wildfires in South Georgia. If you are in a directly affected area, please adhere to guidance from your local officials to keep you and your family safe."
The warmer we get, the more fire we see. Longer fire seasons, more lightning possibly, and drier fuels. I think we're going to see more fire in the East. We're seeing more intense fires.
Smoke from the fires has drifted to Atlanta, Savannah, and Jacksonville, degrading air quality in parts of south Georgia to the unhealthy category. Residents in affected areas have been advised to limit outdoor activity and keep windows closed. The National Weather Service has issued air quality alerts for several counties.
Georgia's two largest wildfires together have burned more than 31 square miles, and at least four other smaller fires have been reported. Firefighters are also battling 131 wildfires in Florida that have burned 34 square miles, mostly in the state's northern half. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson said in a press conference, "Florida has got one of the worst fire seasons in maybe the last 30 or 40 years or it's turning out to be that way. We've been in drought for 18 months now all across the state."
The fires in the East historically and today are a lot smaller than in the Western United States, so they might not always grab as much attention as those out West. But we’re starting to see now this shift in dynamics in the East, we’re starting to quantify it. Even though the changes that we're seeing in the East are much smaller than we're quantifying out West, we think it's extremely important to start to get ahead of this problem now.
More than 61% of the lower 48 states are in moderate to exceptional drought, according to the US Drought Monitor, including 97% of the Southeast and two-thirds of the West. The dry conditions have created abundant fuel for wildfires, with dead trees from Hurricane Helene adding to the fuel load. So far this year, 2,802 square miles of the US have burned in wildfires, 88% more than the 10-year average for this time of year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Wildfires in the southeastern US are becoming more intense, frequent, and damaging due to climate change, record drought, dead trees from Hurricane Helene, and the expansion of the wildland-urban interface, fire scientists say. According to The Independent, Mike Flannigan, a fire scientist, described the trend: "The warmer we get, the more fire we see. Longer fire seasons, more lightning possibly, and drier fuels. I think we're going to see more fire in the East. We're seeing more intense fires." A 2023 study by University of Florida fire ecologists Victoria Donovan and Carissa Wonkka found that the number of large fires, the likelihood of them happening, and the amount of land burned increased in most of the Southeast US from 1984 to 2020.
We found that 45% of all large wildfires in the East burn some portion of the wildland-urban interface and 55% of the area burned so that a lot of these large wildfires are associated with WUI fires.
According to The Independent, Victoria Donovan described the shift: "The fires in the East historically and today are a lot smaller than in the Western United States, so they might not always grab as much attention as those out West. But we're starting to see now this shift in dynamics in the East, we're starting to quantify it. Even though the changes that we're seeing in the East are much smaller than we're quantifying out West, we think it's extremely important to start to get ahead of this problem now." Donovan also noted that 45% of all large wildfires in the East burn some portion of the wildland-urban interface, and 55% of the area burned is associated with WUI fires. This interface, where homes and wildlands meet, increases the risk of property damage and makes firefighting more complex.
Several unknowns remain as the fires continue to burn. The exact total number of homes destroyed across all Georgia wildfires has not been confirmed, and it is unclear whether any injuries or fatalities have occurred. The containment status of the largest fires has not been reported, and the duration of the burn bans remains uncertain. Officials have not specified what resources are being deployed to fight the fires, though state and federal agencies are coordinating response efforts.
My office and I are working closely with the Georgia Forestry Commission to respond to the increasing threat of wildfires in South Georgia. If you are in a directly affected area, please adhere to guidance from your local officials to keep you and your family safe.
Florida has got one of the worst fire seasons in maybe the last 30 or 40 years or it’s turning out to be that way. We’ve been in drought for 18 months now all across the state.