Dozens of Homes Destroyed in Georgia, Florida Wildfires [View all]

Source: WSJ

Wildfires burning across the Florida-Georgia border have destroyed dozens of homes, local officials said Wednesday.

Brantley County, Ga., an 18,000-resident area approximately 70 miles north of Jacksonville, Fla., is the hub of a blaze called the Highway 82 fire. It grew rapidly from 700 acres to nearly 5,000 in six hours on Tuesday, according to County Manager Joey Cason.

Officials on Wednesday urged the public to be prepared to evacuate quickly. Approximately 120 people had evacuated as of 9 a.m. that morning, Cason told local reporters. At least 25 people were at county shelters, officials said. Several pets had been reported killed in the fire, and 47 dwellings had been destroyed.

“These winds may shift rapidly, which will create unpredictable fire behavior,” Brantley County Sheriff Len Davis said.

Multiple fires have broken out in Southeast Georgia as a combination of extreme drought, low humidity and changeable winds created the perfect conditions for the outbreaks. Roughly 98% of the state is experiencing moderate to exceptional drought conditions, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. A burn ban was ordered for 91 counties, essentially the entire southern half of the state, for at least 30 days.



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