Georgia WIldfires Open Fire Season Destroying Homes, Polluting Air

Fast-spreading wildfires in Georgia have covered more than 31 square miles, leading to evacuations and causing widespread damage. The wildfires are the first of what has become a traditional wildfire season in the US as the weather warms.

Georgia is battling two fires. The Highway 82 Fire has been burning since April 20. By the weekend, it had destroyed at least 87 homes. On Sunday, fire officials said it was only 7% contained. Highway 82 in Brantley County is about 35 miles north of the state line with Florida. 

“The fire basically doubled last night in size,” Brantley County Manager Joey Cason said Sunday in a Facebook post. He noted that the fires will be impacted by the wind.

The Highway 82 fire ignited when a foil balloon hit live power lines, The Associated Press reported. That created an electrical arc which sparked a fire on the ground.

A second fire about 70 miles to the southwest had burned more than 46 square miles. It is also near the Florida state line. That fire has destroyed at least 35 homes and was only about 10% contained as of the weekend. That blaze was started by sparks from a welding operation. 

High winds through the weekend and into Monday made it harder for firefighters to keep the blazes contained.  

"We had folks that did not evacuate and they almost got caught by that fire," Cason said Sunday. "It's going to be another potential bad fire day as the winds pick up later in the day."

Firefighters have been battling more than 150 other smaller wildfires in the region. The flames have sent smoky haze wafting far from the initial outbreaks. That has triggered air quality warnings for some cities.  

Reflect: What would influence your decision to stay or leave if a wildfire were approaching your community?