Wildfire season is already having a devastating impact on the Southeast, with dozens of homes burned to the ground in Georgia, and people forced out of their homes in Florida — and a dry, hot summer is still to come.
Georgia Expands Burn Ban
Two major fires, in Brantley and Clinch counties, have scorched more than 53 square miles in southeastern Georgia, but at least 34 new fires have started across the state, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission.
The Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County has destroyed at least 90 homes, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission, and is threatening 700 more. As of Thursday evening, the fire was just 15% contained.
On Friday, officials announced a curfew in the affected areas from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., no word on if that curfew would stay in place throughout the weekend.
(MORE: Wildfire Smoke Reaches Atlanta)
Twenty-year-old Brianna Elliott told the Associated Press that she and her fiancé are living paycheck to paycheck and have lost everything, "I left, I didn't see any fires, I didn't see any smoke in the air and all of a sudden I come back on my way home to go get my dogs to get their nails clipped and I can't get home.
"I see smoke in the air and I'm freaking out. I can't get my belongings, I can't get my fiancée's things, I can't get my clothes and, my priority, I can't get my animals.”
That fire grew by roughly six times in just a half day on Tuesday, said Joey Cason, the county manager.
There were fires erupting “in the backyard and people taking off in the front yard,” he said Wednesday. So far, no major injuries have been reported, Cason said.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for more than half of the counties in the state. For the first time ever, the Forestry Commission has issued a 30-day burn ban for the southern part of the state. On Thursday, burn bans were also issued for several metro Atlanta counties, including Cobb and Cherokee — home to more than 1 million people — on the north side of the city.
(MORE: Weird April Severe Weather)
100-Plus Fires In Florida
Florida firefighters are battling more than 130 wildfires that have burned 39 square miles, mostly in the state’s northern half.
“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,” state Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson said. “We’ve been in drought for 18 months now all across the state.”
The Railroad Fire is burning across two counties, Clay and Putnam. It has scorched nearly 7 square miles and is 60% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service.
As of Thursday morning, evacuations remained in place because of the Cow Creek Fire in Levy County. It’s burned about 3 square miles and is 40% contained.
Southeast Drought Expands
Drought conditions expanded across southern Georgia and the Florida Panhandle this week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. A new map released Thursday showed huge swaths of the Southeast under extreme and exceptional drought conditions.
Track Conditions Where You Are
To stay updated on the impacts of this in your area, including air quality, you can use our Wildfire Conditions tool.
You’ll see the number of active fires, hotspots detected by satellites, smoke density — from light to hazardous — and a 48-hour smoke impact forecast to see what’s ahead.
On Wednesday, smoke drifted to Atlanta, Savannah, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida. The air quality in parts of South Georgia declined to the unhealthy category, meaning all people there might feel health effects.
Smoke from the Georgia fires also spread into South Carolina, according to its forestry commission. The high fire risk was expected to continue each afternoon through Friday due to the very dry conditions, the National Weather Service said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
