Two major wildfires in Georgia have burned more than 53 square miles, raising concerns about possible impacts in nearby states.
DOTHAN, Ala. - Two major wildfires in Georgia have burned more than 53 square miles, destroying homes and raising concerns about possible impacts in nearby states.
The Pineland Road Fire has scorched nearly 30,000 acres and is only 10% contained. The Highway 82 Fire destroyed more than 50 homes and rapidly expanded from 700 to 4,000 acres as winds picked up. With just 11 inches of rain since September, Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in 91 counties and issued a 30-day burn ban. Officials say smoke from the fires could drift into parts of Alabama, though the risk remains limited for now.
“It could be a nuisance if it makes its way over here, but not really dangerous,” said Dothan Deputy Fire Chief Chris Etheredge. WTVY First Alert Meteorologist Zack Webster said the fires are being fueled by a combination of drought, dry vegetation, wind and a passing cold front.
“You combine all of those things together, and you get an environment that’s in place where it’s not only easy for a fire to start, it can quickly spread that fire around,” Webster said. Satellite imagery shows smoke moving northeast toward the Carolinas, not directly into Alabama, but officials say changing wind patterns could shift that.
“There’s always a possibility if it continues to spread,” Etheredge said. “The firefighters that work those wildfires are doing a tremendous job. It’s extremely difficult to contain those. ” Etheredge also recalled similar conditions about 15 years ago, when wildfire smoke from Georgia led to a surge in 911 calls from concerned residents.
“So it was challenging for our 911 operators to handle the number of calls that were coming in at that time, just because of people being concerned,” he said. Forecasters say rain would help, but even small amounts are unlikely to make a difference given current drought conditions.
“Drought conditions have gotten so bad that even a tenth of an inch or quarter of an inch of rain — that’s not going to mean anything,” Webster said. “It’s almost felt like we’ve been a bit more like a desert more so than a tropical climate. ” Officials warn everyday activities — like parking on dry grass, mowing or tossing cigarettes — can spark fires under these conditions. If needed, local wildfire crews could assist.
Under the burn ban, officials remind residents that if a fire starts and spreads, the person responsible could be held accountable.
“It’s extremely difficult to see what other folks are going through. Sometimes we overlook that as emergency responders, that this is what we do every day, this is what those firefighters in Georgia do every day.
However, the person that we’re responding to, we’re responding to the worst day of their life,” Etheredge said. Download the WTVY News4 app to get alerts and stories the moment they are published.
Available for FREE in theDriver who lost wife, daughter in crash faces murder charges1 dead, multiple people injured after shooting at Louisiana mall, authorities say ‘It’s a beast, it’s a monster’: Wildfire explodes to more than 16,000 acres in South Georgia, forcing evacuationsDry weather makes for dangerous wildfire conditions in Alabama
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