Kemp: Balloon may have sparked wildfire

(The Center Square) – Gov. Brian Kemp said Friday a balloon that landed on a power line may have created a wildfire in Brantley County that has destroyed 87 homes and endangered 800 others.

The fire, known as the Highway 82 fire, encompasses more than 7,500 acres and is 15% contained, Kemp said in a news conference.

A fire in Clinch County known as the Pineland Road fire covers more than 31,000 acres and is just 10% contained.

“There’s been 35 homes lost and there’s about 160 homes that are in harm’s way,” Kemp said. “So we’ve got a total of 38,873 acres that have been burned or are burning between just these two fires.”

The two fires are the worst in the state’s history, according to the governor.

The Georgia Forestry Commission issued a month-long burn ban for 91 south Georgia counties on Wednesday. But what the area needs is rain, said Johnny Sabo, director of the Georgia Forestry Commission.

“Even if we receive an inch of rain, these fires aren’t even close to out,” Sabo said. “One thing that we’re seeing on every fir...