NAHUNTA, Ga. (AP) — Wildfires tearing through the South have forced hundreds of Georgia residents to flee in minutes, leaving them distraught about the homes and animals they left behind.
The fires that spread this week during an extreme drought in Georgia and Florida have blanketed cities hundreds of miles away in smoke, leading to more air quality warnings across the Southeast.
Driven by strong winds and low humidity, the two largest fires in southern Georgia have spread rapidly over the past two days, destroying more than 50 homes in rural areas. The growing threat has resulted in more evacuations and school closings.
“I don’t know if I have a house standing or not,” said Denise Stephens, who was forced to evacuate because of the fast-moving Brantley County fire near Georgia’s coast. “I know what it’s taken from other people, but I don’t know what I have left standing.”
The weather forecast indicated another high-risk day ahead, with shifting winds that could cause embers to fly in all directions.
Fires continued to erupt across Georgia. Fire crews responded to new and relatively small blazes, while Florida faced over 130 wildfires, predominantly in the state’s northern half.
Georgia officials highlighted that the wildfires are fed by fallen debris from Hurricane Helene, which struck the southern region in September 2024.
“There’s a ton of old Hurricane Helene debris down in the woods,” said Seth Hawkins, a Georgia Forestry Commission spokesperson. “It’s laying around and it’s just a tinderbox out there.”
Although the cause of the wildfires is still unclear, the bottom half of Georgia and northern Florida remains extremely dry. The Brantley County fire has caused significant structural damage across seven square miles, with only about 15% containment as of early reports.
Smoke drifted across a large part of the Southeast, creating unhealthy air conditions in areas such as Columbia, South Carolina. The haze even covered Atlanta’s skyline, raising serious concerns for vulnerable populations.
