Over 1,000 homes threatened as Georgia wildfires continue to rage, forcing evacuations

Extreme drought conditions continue to fuel wildfires across Georgia, where two of the largest fires have destroyed homes and burnt thousands of acres. 

The Pineland Road and Brantley County fires in southeast Georgia have both grown substantially as dry winds continue to challenge firefighters, with little rain relief on the horizon.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency across 91 Georgia counties due to ongoing wildfires in the southern portion of the state, with a burn ban in effect for 30 days, unless otherwise renewed.

As of Thursday, the Brantley County Fire was 5,000 acres and 15% contained. 

The Brantley County Sheriff's Office said 54 buildings were burned by the fire, and 1,000 more are threatened by the wildfire. 

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Evacuations are underway in Brantley County along Browntown Road from Highway 82 to Greenleaf on the west side of the highway.

"Additional resources continue to arrive hourly, and more personnel are currently on scene than at any point since the incident began," the Brantley County Sheriff's Office said on Thursday morning. 

FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray reported on the devastation caused by the Brantley County Fire in Nahunta, Georgia. 

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Video showed the destruction of charred cars and burnt down buildings. 

The Pineland Road Fire burned 29,606 acres and was 10% contained as of Wednesday, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. 

Gusty winds and low humidity have helped ignite areas across the drought-ridden Peach State, with 98.1 percent of Georgia’s land area under moderate to exceptional drought conditions.

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Air Quality Alerts have been issued for portions of Georgia, including Atlanta, and South Carolina on Thursday due to smoke. 

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With little to no rain expected over the next 10 days in Georgia, drought conditions are likely to persist—keeping the threat of dangerous fire weather firmly in place.