Governor Brian Kemp toured South Georgia to meet with first responders and area leaders, and to view damage caused by wildfires. He addressed media at press conference held at an airfield to discuss the severity of the situation.
“So, every fire in the United States is measured so the feds working with the states can figure out where to put resources,” Kemp said. “The two fires that we’re fighting, among many others in Georgia, but the Pineland fire and the Highway 82 fire rank number one and number two in the country. We’ve got the two most dangerous, biggest, problematic fires anywhere in the United States.”
Kemp says these fires have resulted in the most homes lost in the state’s history, and hundreds of homes are in harm's way.
Much of the state is suffering from extreme to exceptional drought. Additionally, debris left behind by Hurricane Helene is fueling the wildfires.
High fire activity is expected throughout the weekend. Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee are facing similar blazes. FEMA has approved federal funding to help combat the fires.
According to the Georgia Forestry Commission, the one fire was caused a by a child’s party balloon landing on a power line. A second blaze is believed to have been started by someone welding a gate on their property, which caused sparks they were unable to contain.
