Several major wildfires are burning across Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia as crews work to contain the blazes, spreading under extreme drought conditions.
Heavy smoke across the region also continues to cause problems, both with traffic and breathing. Several burn bans also are in effect.
A major fire in Brantley County, Georgia, has spread to over 5,000 acres, up from 1,500 Tuesday, April 21, according to Brantley County officials. County Manager Joey Cason said about 50 homes have been destroy. Residents are being ordered to evacuate and school has been canceled for Wednesday, April 22.
Crews from multiple agencies, including Glynn County Fire Rescue, have been working to get the fire under control. Emergency responders have also blocked off certain roads as conditions continue to shift.
People who live in the area say the situation is unlike anything they’ve seen before.
“We kind of figured it was gonna happen with the drought that we’ve had, but as far as it getting this bad, we never would’ve seen this coming,” said Korey Sellers. “I’ve just got a new house last year, and we just got moved in a couple of miles down from where we’re at right now, and I’m just hoping and praying that I don’t go further on down. I mean, I’d like to stop and not hurt anybody’s houses.”
Meanwhile, crews continue to battle the Railroad Fire in Clay and Putnam counties in Florida, which has now grown to more than 4,000 acres. The Florida Forest Service listed it as 50% contained.
We have the latest updates here.
Brantley Highway 82 Fire – Brantley County, Georgia
8:40 a.m. Wednesday Update: The wildfire has expanded to cover over 5,000 acres Wednesday morning with containment at 10%, according to Brantley County spokesman Jay Sellers.
At least 47 structures, including some homes, are lost to the wildfire as of Wednesday morning, Sellers said.
Cason said likely more than 75 people were left without their homes.
While the damage is extensive, residents appear to have avoided serious injury. Cason said he was not aware of any deaths or serious injuries related to the fire.
“Crews remain actively engaged in containing the wildfire,” a Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokesperson said Tuesday night. “The Georgia Forestry Commission is working with local Emergency Management on ongoing damage assessments.”
Fire containment quickly deteriorated Tuesday evening, with the fire growing rapidly from 700 acres and losing almost all containment progress, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission.
Students at Waynesville Primary School and Atkinson Elementary were evacuated during the school day to the Brantley County Middle School gym. Brantley County Schools later announced that all schools would be closed to students and staff on Wednesday as the county deals with this “ongoing crisis.”
“This decision has been made to ensure the safety of our students, families, and employees, and to allow our Brantley County families time and space to navigate the impacts of the fire. We know that many in our community have been directly affected, including some who have experienced the loss of their homes.
“Our hearts are with all those impacted. During times like these, we remain committed to supporting one another as a school community and would like to thank all of our volunteers and emergency responders working to meet community needs.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates regarding next steps as information becomes available.
“Thank you for your understanding, flexibility, and care for one another.”
The following roadways are expected to be closed overnight into Wednesday, April 22:
Mandatory evacuations remain in place for the following locations:
Railroad Fire – Clay County and Putnam County
8:50 a.m. Wednesday, April 22 Update: The Railroad Fire in southern Clay County/northern Putnam County remains a combined 4,186 acres and is 55% contained. Hundreds of responders from multiple counties and the state continue to fight this fire.
Fire Rescue officials say boaters should avoid the St. Johns River at this time, since firefighting aircraft are using the river to refill their water tanks. They remind people to not fly drones over the fire or the water, as it prevents firefighting aircraft from reaching the fire.
(This is a developing story.)
This story was first reported by Times-Union news partner First Coast News.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Wildfires destroy homes, force evacuations, shut down roads, schools
Reporting by Jackson Brown, Kiley Miller, Malcolm Harvey, Brock Hardesty, First Coast News / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
