NAHUNTA, Ga. – A large wildfire in southeastern Georgia, known as the Highway 82 Fire, is rapidly expanding and now covers over 31 square miles (about 80 square kilometers). This intense fire has been burning since April 20 and has already destroyed at least 87 homes, with officials reporting it is only 7% contained as of Sunday.
Located about 35 miles (56.3 kilometers) north of the Florida state line, the Highway 82 Fire has become a serious concern for local authorities. “The fire basically doubled last night in size,” said Brantley County Manager Joey Cason in a Facebook update. He warned that wind conditions, with gusts reaching around 15 mph (24.1 kph), could further impact the fire’s behavior.
Due to the fire’s rapid growth, officials have indicated that evacuation notices may be issued soon. Cason urged residents to take these warnings seriously. “We had folks that did not evacuate and they almost got caught by that fire,” he noted, emphasizing the potential dangers as winds are expected to pick up throughout the day.
In addition to the Highway 82 Fire, another fire located about 70 miles (110 kilometers) to the southwest has burned over 46 square miles (121 square kilometers) and destroyed at least 35 homes. This fire was reportedly ignited by sparks from a welding operation and is currently only 10% contained.
Interestingly, the Highway 82 Fire started when a foil balloon hit live power lines, creating an electrical arc that ignited surrounding materials. Fire crews are working tirelessly to contain the blaze, and more firefighting resources are expected to arrive soon. “There’s a ton of assets that are being poured into this fire to, hopefully, get it under control or get it out,” Cason stated. “This whole situation is heartbreaking.”
As of Sunday afternoon, updated figures on the number of homes damaged or destroyed were still pending. Susie Heisey, a spokeswoman for the Southern Area Incident Management Team, highlighted the hard work of the firefighters. “Our firefighters worked so hard and had so much success in protecting structures and private homes, but there also were losses,” she mentioned.
Due to the ongoing fire, damage assessments by investigators are currently on hold. Firefighters are also facing challenges, as they are battling over 150 wildfires across Georgia and Florida, which have caused smoky conditions that have affected air quality in certain areas.
This spring has seen an unusually high number of wildfires across the Southeast. Experts attribute this surge to a combination of factors, including extreme drought conditions, gusty winds, climate change, and dead trees remaining in forests after Hurricane Helene in 2024.
Tragically, in northern Florida, a volunteer firefighter named James “Kevin” Crews lost his life while responding to a brush fire. Thankfully, there have been no reported fire-related deaths or injuries in Georgia.
