Georgia Wildfires Burn Over 40,000 Acres, Destroy 120 Homes (VIDEO)

Two massive Georgia wildfires have burned over 40,000 acres and destroyed 120 homes.

Authorities do not believe the fires are the work of arsonists.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said one of the fires was sparked by a wayward Mylar balloon that struck an electrical line.

Firefighters are also battling wildfires in northern Florida.

CBS News reported:

Two massive wildfires in south Georgia have scorched more than 40,000 acres and destroyed over 120 homes.

Extreme drought has turned the region into a tinderbox and allowed flames to spread. Overnight, new fires sparked in rural south Georgia. High winds have made efforts to contain the fires difficult, officials said in a news conference Saturday afternoon.

Brantley County Manager Joey Cason called the wildfires a “dynamic situation” in a Saturday morning video posted to social media and begged residents to “please evacuate” if they are ordered to do so. New evacuation orders were issued as the fire spread.

“Leave the scene. This fire is moving at a fast pace and we do not have much control over where it’s currently moving. Please leave,” Cason said Saturday afternoon at a news conference, addressing Georgia residents facing evacuation orders.

Firefighters battled the blaze in southern Georgia.

WATCH:

NEW VIDEO: Wildfires tear through southern Georgia, wiping out more than 35,000 acres and destroying nearly 90 homes as residents witness the effects of historic drought conditions.

Smoke from fires in southeast Georgia have also caused Air Quality Alerts as dry winds continue… pic.twitter.com/ywq1DG5xye

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 24, 2026

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp delivered remarks on the state’s efforts to put out the wildfires.

Governor Kemp said the two fires are the most destructive in Georgia’s history.

Kemp said one of the fires is 15% contained.

WATCH:

Brian Kemp: The Pineland Fire and Highway 82 fire rank number one and two in the country. So we got the two most dangerous, biggest problematic fires anywhere in the United States. We believe that these two fires have created the most lost homes ever in the history of our state. pic.twitter.com/RK6kPttT8Z

— Blue Georgia (@BlueGeorgia) April 25, 2026