GEORGIA — A total of 87 homes had been destroyed as of Thursday by wildfires sweeping across parts of Georgia.
The two largest wildfires in southern Georgia have burned tens of thousands of acres combined.
Georgia National Guard gave an inside look as it readies Black Hawk helicopters to fight fires LIVE on Channel 2 at 6:00.
The Georgia Forestry Commission said the Pineland Road Fire in Clinch County is around 10% contained, and the Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County is 15% contained.
New evacuations were ordered for parts of Brantley County, as the situation changed around 4:30 p.m., fire officials said. They are concerned the flames could jump over another road and spread amid the drought conditions.
In Haralson County, fire crews are working to contain an active wildfire Thursday evening.
The Haralson County Fire Department says the fire has grown to an estimated 25 to 30 acres in the West Mount Zion Church and Broad Street area.
Firefighters in Bartow County worked to contain a wildfire earlier in the day that started near homes close to Allatoona Lake.
Burn bans have now been issued by county officials in Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Henry, Polk, Spalding and Troup counties in north and central Georgia.
The GFC says it responded to 34 new wildfires across the state on Wednesday. The agency’s biggest concerns remain the ongoing wildfires in south Georgia.
As of Wednesday night, the GFC numbers show the Pineland Road fire in Clinch County has burned over 29,600 acres and is only 10% contained. The Highway 82 fire in Brantley County is only 15% contained with over 4,438 acres burned.
“With ongoing drought conditions and no significant rainfall in sight, wildfire activity remains elevated across Georgia,” the commission said.
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Drought numbers are updated every Thursday. The latest numbers show 71% of Georgia is under a “extreme drought.”
Gov. Brian Kemp declared a State of Emergency for 91 Georgia counties. The State of Emergency will remain in effect for 30 days, unless otherwise renewed, the governor’s office said.
State agencies are mobilizing all necessary resources to assist with fire response in the south of the state.
While north Georgia isn’t under the mandatory state-issued burn ban, the wildfire smoke is affecting the air. Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Ashley Kramlich says the smoke conditions are usually worse in the mornings.
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