Wildfires across Georgia and Florida destroy more than 50 homes and force evacuations

NAHUNTA, Ga. (AP) — Huge plumes of smoke blanketed swaths of the Southeast on Wednesday as crews battled rapidly growing wildfires that destroyed more than 50 homes in Georgia and forced hundreds to flee the drought- and wind-fueled flames. Some of the biggest blazes were near Georgia's coast, while others were popping up in northern Florida, a state facing one of its worst fire seasons in decades. It was not yet clear how the wildfires started, but the bottom half of Georgia is perilously dry and the conditions prompted the state's forestry commission to issue a burn ban for the first time in its history. Southeastern Georgia has seen just 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain since the beginning of September — almost 15 inches (38 centimeters) below normal, the National Weather Service said. The fires spread so quickly in that area that residents received no warnings or alerts. "I wish that I had knew something more," said Brianna Elliott, who left home Tuesday only to find her route back blocked by the fires 90 minutes later. "I would have turned around in that moment and gone home and got my animals before anything." She now fears that her home and her dogs are gone. Georgia's two biggest wildfires together have burned more than 33 square miles (85 square kilometers), and at least four other smaller fires have been reported in the state. Dry timber feeds Georgia firesThe fast-moving Brantley County fire threatened roughly 1,000 homes Wednesday after destroying dozens a day earlier. That fire grew by roughly six times in just a half day Tuesday, said Joey Cason, the county manager. There were fires erupting "in the backyard and people taking off in the front yard," he said Wednesday. So far no major injuries have been reported, Cason said. The rural county is roughly midway between Georgia's coastal beaches and the Okefenokee Swamp, dotted with livestock and fruit farms as well as thick stands of planted pines grown for timber. Crews worked to create fire breaks and stop the flames from reaching populated areas. The biggest concern was gusting winds that could easily spread embers. Authorities said rain is desperately needed. The area with the worst fires was in exceptional or extreme drought, the most dire levels, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. "If you could start praying for that right now, we'd be grateful," Cason said. Pine and hardwood forests in the region are helping charge the fires, said Seth Hawkins, a spokesperson for the Georgia Forestry Commission, and swampy lowlands with thick layers of leaves and woody debris are "super flammable" when they dry out. The commission's 30-day burn ban is for the southern part of the state. FEMA announced the approval of grants for Georgia and Florida to battle the blazes. More residents told to evacuateGeorgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for more than half of the state's counties. More people were told to evacuate from Brantley County on Wednesday afternoon, on top of the 800 evacuations previously. Another large fire that started in nearby Clinch County also prompted evacuations. Mike Reardon and his wife packed family photos and their dog, Molly Rose, along with new e-bikes before leaving their Brantley County home. The fire was about a mile away, and a shift in the wind would put flames "in our backyard in a matter of minutes," he said. The couple just built the home two years ago. "It's more than our house. It's land that my dad bought years ago," Liz Reardon said, fighting back tears. "It's the most beautiful place in the world to me." Florida sees its worst wildfire season in decadesIn Florida, firefighters battled more than 130 wildfires that burned 39 square miles (101 square kilometers), mostly in the state's northern half. "Florida has got one of the worst fire seasons in maybe the last 30 or 40 years, or it's turning out to be that way," state Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson said. "We've been in drought for 18 months now all across the state." Smoke blows into Atlanta and JacksonvilleThe National Weather Service said a dangerous combination of low humidity and breezy winds would keep the fire danger elevated Wednesday. Smoke drifted to Atlanta, Savannah, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida. The air quality in parts of south Georgia declined to the unhealthy category, meaning all people there might feel health effects. Smoky conditions were expected to linger throughout the Atlanta area, according to the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency. The worst fires were more than 200 miles (322 kilometers) southeast of the city. Smoke from Georgia fires also spread into South Carolina, according to its forestry commission. The high fire risk was expected to continue each afternoon through Friday due to the very dry conditions, the weather service said.