Thousands of acres still burn as firefighters from across the state continue to battle two large wildfires in south Georgia.
The Pineland Road Fire in Clinch and Echols Counties is estimated to have burned more than 32,000 acres and is currently at 23% containment, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. The Forestry Commission also reports that the Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County has burned over 22,000 acres and has reached 32% containment.
The causes of the fires do not appear to be intentional. The Pineland Road Fire is being attributed to a spark from a welding operation coming into contact with the forest floor, igniting the initial brush fire. The Highway 82 Fire is believed to have begun after a mylar balloon became tangled in a power line, causing a fire that spread to nearby plant life.
Firefighters and containment operations have made progress, aided by recent rain across the area, but much remains to be done before the fires are fully contained. Governor Brian Kemp and other state leaders gave an update on the fires in a Tuesday press conference.
“A little bit of rain is going to help us, but it’s not going to get us out of this situation,” said Kemp. “We’re going to be dealing with this for quite a while.”
Containment is up in the past two days compared to last week, but that doesn’t mean the contained areas are extinguished. Georgia Forestry Commission Director Johnny Sabo explained what the containment percentage means.
“We call it a monitor status,” Sabo said. “That doesn’t mean it’s completely out.”
Federal and state-level relief funds are being directed to aid in the management of these fires. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) directed the use of federal grants, which could cover up to 75% of firefighting costs.
Much of the state still remains under extreme or exceptional drought conditions, owing to the very little precipitation in the past several weeks. Burn bans for 91 counties remain in place until May 22, as officials continue to battle some of the most destructive fires in Georgia history.
