Two major wildfires burning in southeastern Georgia have destroyed at least 120 homes combined and continue to threaten residents as strong winds are expected to accelerate fire spread, according to reporting from LEX 18 News.

Brantley County Manager Joey Cason described the situation as "dynamic" in a Saturday morning video, urging residents to evacuate immediately if ordered. "This fire is going to move rapidly once these winds get here later today," Cason said.

The Highway 82 Fire, which began Monday after a foil balloon struck live power lines and created an electrical arc, has destroyed at least 87 homes across more than 14.8 square miles. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Friday the destruction represents the most homes lost to a single wildfire in the state's history. The fire remained only about 10% contained as of Saturday, despite infrared surveillance flights conducted overnight to map the fire's perimeter.

A second wildfire approximately 70 miles southwest in Clinch and Echols counties near the Florida border has burned more than 46.9 square miles and destroyed at least 35 homes. That fire, sparked by a welding operation, was also about 10% contained by midday Saturday.

The twin blazes are part of an unusually large outbreak of wildfires across the Southeast this spring. More than 150 additional wildfires are burning across Georgia and Florida, sending smoky haze across the region and triggering air quality warnings in several cities.

Scientists attribute the surge in wildfire activity to a combination of extreme drought, gusty winds, climate change, and an abundance of dead trees felled by Hurricane Helene in 2024. In northern Florida, James Kevin Crews, a Nassau County Sheriff's Office volunteer firefighter, died Thursday evening from an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire. No deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia.