NAHUNTA, Ga. — A fast-moving wildfire in southeastern Georgia has grown to more than 31 square miles (80 square kilometers) and could force evacuations, officials warned Sunday. The Highway 82 Fire, burning since April 20 in Brantley County about 35 miles north of the Florida line, had destroyed at least 87 homes and was roughly 7% contained Sunday morning.
Brantley County Manager Joey Cason said the blaze “basically doubled” in size overnight and called it a dynamic event that will be influenced by wind, urging residents to be ready to leave if evacuation notices are issued. Forecasters expected wind gusts around 15 mph (24.1 kph) Sunday, raising concerns that conditions could worsen. Cason said some residents who did not evacuate nearly were overtaken by the flames.
Investigators determined the Highway 82 Fire began when a foil balloon struck live power lines, producing an electrical arc that ignited dry ground material. Additional firefighting crews were expected Sunday and Monday as resources are being concentrated on the incident with the aim of gaining control.
Updated totals for damaged and destroyed homes were not immediately available because the active fire prevents safe access for investigators, Southern Area Incident Management Team spokeswoman Susie Heisey said. She noted crews had substantial success protecting many structures, but there were still losses.
A separate, larger fire burning roughly 70 miles (110 kilometers) southwest in Clinch and Echols counties near the Florida border had consumed more than 46 square miles (121 square kilometers), destroyed at least 35 homes and was about 10% contained as of Saturday. That blaze was blamed on sparks from a welding operation.
Firefighters are also battling more than 150 other wildfires across Georgia and Florida, producing smoky haze that has degraded air quality in communities far from the flames. Scientists say this unusually active spring fire season in the Southeast is driven by a combination of extreme drought, gusty winds, the longer-term influence of climate change and large amounts of dead timber left after Hurricane Helene toppled trees in 2024.
In northern Florida, Nassau County Sheriff’s Office volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews died Thursday evening after suffering a medical emergency while fighting a brush fire. No fire-related deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia.