A volunteer firefighter died while battling a wildfire in northern Florida, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office confirmed. The firefighter was described by Hilliard Volunteer Fire Chief Jerry Johnson as "the epitome of courage and dedication." Johnson said in an official statement that "his sacrifice will never be forgotten." The cause of the medical emergency that led to his death has not been disclosed.
In Georgia, more than 120 homes have been destroyed across the southeastern part of the state, according to multiple reports. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said the Brantley County fire destroyed 87 homes, the highest number ever destroyed by a single wildfire in Georgia's history. An additional 35 homes were lost to a larger fire in Clinch and Echols counties, major media reported. The total number of homes destroyed across all wildfires in Georgia and Florida remains unclear.
Kevin was the epitome of courage and dedication. His sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Governor Kemp stated that the Brantley County fire was likely ignited by a foil party balloon striking power lines. The larger fire in Clinch and Echols counties is believed to have started when a man was welding a gate outdoors, Kemp added. The two biggest wildfires together have burned more than 31 square miles, according to major media.
The Brantley County fire spans over 11 square miles and was 15% contained by Friday, the Georgia Forestry Commission reported. The fire grew roughly six times in size over a half day, according to Brantley County manager Joey Cason. An estimated 4,000 homes in Brantley County were under evacuation orders, said Georgia Forestry Commission spokesperson Seth Hawkins. However, other reports indicate at least 800 evacuations have taken place, with roughly 200 residents ordered to evacuate. The discrepancy may reflect different metrics: homes under orders versus actual evacuations. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that the fire threatens 300 more homes. Cason urged residents to comply with evacuation orders, warning that "containment can move from 15% to 0% in a matter of minutes with the wind."
There’s no way to stop this fire. They’re having to contain the flanks and the back of it and then, hopefully, we get a change in the weather.
No fire-related deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia, according to multiple reports. Firefighters are battling more than 150 other wildfires across Georgia and Florida, major media reported. In Florida, a fire in Broward County scorched more than 9,200 acres and was 50% contained as of Thursday afternoon, according to major media. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson described the situation as "one of the worst fire seasons in maybe the last 30 or 40 years," noting that the state has been in drought for 18 months.
The Georgia Forestry Commission issued its first mandatory burn ban in the state's history, effective across 91 counties, the agency announced. The ban reflects the severe drought conditions: more than 61% of the lower 48 states are in moderate to exceptional drought, the highest level for this time of year since 2000, according to the US Drought Monitor. 97% of the southeast US is in drought, and Florida is in exceptional or extreme drought, the Drought Monitor reported. Governor Kemp acknowledged the challenge, saying, "There's no way to stop this fire. They're having to contain the flanks and the back of it and then, hopefully, we get a change in the weather."
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.
Long-term trends show increasing wildfire risk in the Southeast. A 2023 study by University of Florida fire ecologists Victoria Donovan and Carissa Wonkka found that the number of large fires, likelihood of them happening, and amount of land burned increased in most of the Southeast US from 1984 to 2020. According to The Independent - Main, Donovan described that "45% of all large wildfires in the East burn some portion of the wildland-urban interface." She also noted that fires in the East are historically smaller than those in the West but that a shift in dynamics is emerging, emphasizing the importance of getting ahead of the problem.
Nationally, the wildfire season is above average. So far this year, 2,802 square miles of the US has burned in wildfires, 88% more than the 10-year average for this time of year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. According to The Independent - Main, fire scientist Mike Flannigan of Thompson Rivers University attributed the increase to warming temperatures, longer fire seasons, more lightning, and drier fuels, predicting more fire in the East.
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.
Several uncertainties remain. The exact cause of the volunteer firefighter's death has not been determined. The total number of homes destroyed across all wildfires in Georgia and Florida is unknown. It is unclear when significant rainfall will arrive to help contain the fires. The exact number of people evacuated across all affected areas has not been confirmed. Other suspected causes for the smaller fires have not been disclosed.