Highway 82 Wildfire in Brantley County Destroys Dozens of Homes, Remains Largely Uncontained

A wildfire known as the Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County, Georgia, has grown to more than 31 square miles (80 square kilometers) since it began on April 20, officials said Sunday. As of Sunday morning, the fire was only 7% contained and had destroyed at least 87 homes, according to local authorities.

Brantley County Manager Joey Cason stated that the fire doubled in size overnight and warned that evacuation notices could be issued as wind gusts of up to 15 mph were expected to worsen conditions. Cason urged residents to comply with any evacuation orders, noting that some individuals who did not evacuate previously were nearly trapped by the advancing flames.

Officials said the fire was started when a foil balloon struck live power lines, causing an electrical arc that ignited nearby combustible material. Additional firefighting crews were expected to arrive Sunday and Monday to assist in containment efforts. As of Sunday afternoon, updated figures on property damage were not available, as investigators have been unable to access affected areas due to ongoing fire activity, according to Susie Heisey, spokesperson for the Southern Area Incident Management Team.

Elsewhere in southeastern Georgia, a separate wildfire in Clinch and Echols counties had burned more than 46 square miles (121 square kilometers) and destroyed at least 35 homes as of Saturday. No deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia related to the wildfires.