Wildfire that has destroyed nearly 90 homes in Georgia threatens more evacuations

Growing wildfires blamed for death of Florida firefighter and destruction of 120 Georgia homes 1 of 9 | A wildfire fueled by shifting winds scorched homes and vehicles in southeastern Georgia Thursday, forcing residents to decide whether to evacuate or stay behind. (AP video shot by Emilie Megnien) 2 of 9 | A woman recording the damage caused by a wildfire in Brantley County, Georgia cried out, “My house is gone!” as she surveyed the smoky scene of burned out vehicles and other debris. 3 of 9 | A wildfire that has charred dozens of homes in southeast Georgia could force more evacuations at a moment’s notice. The Southside Baptist Church located only a few miles to a road barricade is offering shelter to those in need. (AP video: Emilie Megnien) 4 of 9 | Two large wildfires burning in drought-stricken southeast Georgia have destroyed more than 120 homes and are threatening nearly 1,000 more. (AP video: Emilie Megnien) 5 of 9 | Michael Gibson and his fiancée Tabitha Enke sit inside their camper after losing their home during the Brantley Highway 82 fire, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) 6 of 9 | Gov. Brian Kemp speaks on the fires in Southeast Georgia, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Waycross, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) 7 of 9 | Annabelle Enke plays as her father Michael Gibson looks on after losing thier home at the Brantley Highway 82 fire, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) 8 of 9 | Jennifer Murphy and her dog Chip sit inside the Southside Baptist Church as she is displanced by the Brantley Highway 82 fire, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) 9 of 9 | The photo provided by the Office of Gov. Brian Kemp shows smoke produced from a wildfire in Brantley County, Ga., Friday, April 24, 2026. (Office of Gov. Brian Kemp via AP) 1 of 9 A wildfire fueled by shifting winds scorched homes and vehicles in southeastern Georgia Thursday, forcing residents to decide whether to evacuate or stay behind. (AP video shot by Emilie Megnien) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 2 of 9 A woman recording the damage caused by a wildfire in Brantley County, Georgia cried out, “My house is gone!” as she surveyed the smoky scene of burned out vehicles and other debris. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 3 of 9 A wildfire that has charred dozens of homes in southeast Georgia could force more evacuations at a moment’s notice. The Southside Baptist Church located only a few miles to a road barricade is offering shelter to those in need. (AP video: Emilie Megnien) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 4 of 9 Two large wildfires burning in drought-stricken southeast Georgia have destroyed more than 120 homes and are threatening nearly 1,000 more. (AP video: Emilie Megnien) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 5 of 9 Michael Gibson and his fiancée Tabitha Enke sit inside their camper after losing their home during the Brantley Highway 82 fire, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 6 of 9 Gov. Brian Kemp speaks on the fires in Southeast Georgia, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Waycross, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 7 of 9 Annabelle Enke plays as her father Michael Gibson looks on after losing thier home at the Brantley Highway 82 fire, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 8 of 9 Jennifer Murphy and her dog Chip sit inside the Southside Baptist Church as she is displanced by the Brantley Highway 82 fire, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 9 of 9 The photo provided by the Office of Gov. Brian Kemp shows smoke produced from a wildfire in Brantley County, Ga., Friday, April 24, 2026. (Office of Gov. Brian Kemp via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Nahunta, Ga. (AP) — A volunteer firefighter died battling a wildfire in northern Florida while more than 120 homes have been destroyed in southeast Georgia and thousands more remain threatened by two large blazes, one of which investigators suspect was sparked by a foil balloon touching power lines, officials said Friday.An unusually large number of wildfires are burning this spring across the Southeast, where scientists say the threat of fire has been amplified by a combination of extreme drought, gusty winds, climate change and dead trees still littering some forests after being toppled by Hurricane Helene in 2024.In northern Florida, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews suffered an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire. Crews was rushed to a hospital where he died Thursday evening, according to a news release posted to social media. “Kevin was the epitome of courage and dedication,” Hilliard Volunteer Fire Chief Jerry Johnson said in a statement. “His sacrifice will never be forgotten.” A helicopter carries water to the Brantley Highway 82 fire, Thursday, April 23, 2026, near Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) A helicopter carries water to the Brantley Highway 82 fire, Thursday, April 23, 2026, near Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. ‘No way to stop this fire’ without soaking rainAfter getting a firsthand look at firefighting efforts in southeast Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters that state officials believe 87 homes burned in rural Brantley County this week are the most destroyed by a single wildfire in the state’s history. An additional 35 homes have been lost to a larger fire burning in sparsely populated Clinch and Echols counties near the Florida state line, Kemp said. That blaze has burned about 50 square miles (129 square kilometers), an area twice the size of Manhattan. Kemp said officials suspect the Brantley County was sparked by a foil party balloon that touched live power lines, creating an electrical arc that ignited the ground. He said investigators suspect the larger fire started with a man welding a gate outside. Spread across nearly 12 square miles (31 square kilometers) and still growing, the Brantley County blaze was 15% contained Friday, the Georgia Forestry Commission said. An estimated 4,000 homes in the county were under evacuation orders Friday, said commission spokesperson Seth Hawkins. “There’s no way to stop this fire,” Kemp said. “They’re having to contain the flanks and the back of it and then, hopefully, we get a change in the weather.” Fire crews and truck assemble at the Brantley County Airport as they work the Brantley highway 82 fire, Thursday, April 23, 2026, near Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Fire crews and truck assemble at the Brantley County Airport as they work the Brantley highway 82 fire, Thursday, April 23, 2026, near Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. A fire burns as the Brantley Highway 82 fire burns, Thursday, April 23, 2026, near Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) A fire burns as the Brantley Highway 82 fire burns, Thursday, April 23, 2026, near Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. No fire deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia.Firefighters are battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida that have sent smoky haze into places far from the flames, triggering air quality warnings for some cities. ‘We’ve lost everything, but I’m one of the lucky ones’ Michael Gibson was at his job Thursday at a chicken feed producer when his fiancee called urging him to come home. By the time he arrived, firefighters were already on the road where Gibson, his fiancee and their four children lived. He said he took his family to safety and tried to return to salvage belongings, but police stopped him. Annabelle Enke plays as her father Michael Gibson looks on after losing thier home at the Brantley Highway 82 fire, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Annabelle Enke plays as her father Michael Gibson looks on after losing thier home at the Brantley Highway 82 fire, Friday, April 24, 2026, in Nahunta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Gibson said the fire consumed his mobile home and one beside it where his fiancee’s brother lived. His family has been staying in a camper on a relative’s property. “We’ve lost everything, but I’m one of the lucky ones.” Gibson said Friday. “We’ve been prepared to leave. And I’m truly blessed to have my family and to have somewhere to sleep. ... A lot of people in my county didn’t make it out with the clothes on their backs.”Jennifer Murphy said she had little time to react when firefighters knocked at her door in the Brantley County community of Hortense.She said she barely had a chance to gather her dog, Chip, and a single bag of belongings before firefighters urgently helped her walk down her wheelchair ramp and grab a rolling walker from her van outside.“It was like, ‘Get out now, right now. You’ve got to leave,’” Murphy said Friday at the local church where she had spent the night on a couch. Firefighters are hosing down homes, trying to limit destruction While crews with bulldozers work to clear fire breaks around the burning areas, firefighters from dozens of local agencies have focused on protecting nearby homes and other structures — clearing away dry brush and using hoses and sprinklers to keep houses and yards wet.“We’ve definitely had the local fire guys out there literally hosing stuff down,” said Hawkins of the forestry commission.In Florida, firefighters were battling more than 120 wildfires Friday, mostly in the state’s northern half. Fire crews in Georgia responded to 31 new and relatively small blazes Thursday, the state forestry commission said.Officials say soaking rain is badly needed to snuff out the large fires, and that possible showers forecast this weekend won’t bring enough rainfall. There’s also a chance of thunderstorms, raising concerns that lightning could spark more fires.“It is going to take 8 to 10 inches before we can walk away from these fires,” said Johnny Sabo, director of the Georgia Forestry Commission.He said long-range forecasts predict less than average rainfall until July. ___Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press journalist Jeff Amy contributed from Atlanta