Two simultaneous wildfires — the largest in Georgia history — have burned more than 41,000 acres and destroyed 120-plus homes across Brantley and Ware counties as of April 26, 2026.
The orange glow from the Pineland Road Fire was visible from thirty miles away the night of 24 April 2026. In Brantley County, residents packed vehicles with what they could reach quickly — pets, documents, prescription medications — and drove toward the evacuation zones. Some left with nothing.
By 26 April, Governor Brian Kemp was describing what emergency managers had already confirmed: Georgia was fighting two of the largest wildfires in the state's recorded history simultaneously. The Pineland Road Fire, burning roughly 45 miles east of Valdosta in Brantley County, had consumed more than 32,000 acres — approximately 50 square miles — with containment at less than 20 percent. The U.S. Highway 82 Fire, burning nearby, had grown to 9,572 acres with 10 percent containment. Together, more than 120 homes and businesses had been destroyed across southeast Georgia.
Georgia wildfires 2026 · Pineland Road Fire · Brantley County evacuations
"We are dealing with the two largest, most problematic wildfires in the country right now," Kemp said during a briefing with Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency officials on 26 April. The governor activated the state emergency operations centre and requested federal disaster assistance. Crews from the U.S. Forest Service and neighbouring states joined Georgia's own firefighting resources in attempting to establish containment lines.
“Forest Service and neighbouring states joined Georgia's own firefighting resources in attempting to establish containment lines.”
The conditions driving the fires were severe. The National Weather Service reported that southeast Georgia and northern Florida had recorded historic drought conditions over the preceding weeks, with soil moisture at multi-decade lows for late April. Winds gusting above 20 mph repeatedly overran firebreaks, driving the Pineland Road Fire deeper into residential communities. Glynn County officials, on the Brantley County border, issued a mandatory evacuation preparation order on 26 April, warning residents in the county's western sections to be ready to leave within hours.
Key Takeaways
→Georgia wildfires 2026: As of 26 April 2026, the Pineland Road Fire in Brantley County had burned more than 32,000 acres — roughly 50 square miles — with containment at less than 20 percent.
→Pineland Road Fire: As of 26 April 2026, the Pineland Road Fire in Brantley County had burned more than 32,000 acres — roughly 50 square miles — with containment at less than 20 percent.
→Brantley County evacuations: As of 26 April 2026, the Pineland Road Fire in Brantley County had burned more than 32,000 acres — roughly 50 square miles — with containment at less than 20 percent.
→wildfire emergency: As of 26 April 2026, the Pineland Road Fire in Brantley County had burned more than 32,000 acres — roughly 50 square miles — with containment at less than 20 percent.
Aerial support proved critical in slowing — but not stopping — the advance. Tanker aircraft made repeated runs along the fire's southern edge on 24 and 25 April, according to a briefing released by GEMA. Ground crews described soil so dry that embers landing 200 yards ahead of the main fire line were igniting immediately, making containment work dangerous and difficult to sustain.
Georgia wildfires 2026 · Pineland Road Fire · Brantley County evacuations
The pace of destruction raised pointed questions about disaster preparedness in the region. The Satilla River basin area, where the Pineland Road Fire is concentrated, had seen its last significant rainfall event in early March. Local fire chiefs had warned county commissioners in late March that spring 2026 posed an elevated risk, citing the drought and an unusually warm winter that accelerated dry vegetation growth. Those warnings did not translate into additional pre-positioning of suppression resources before the fires ignited.
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**The bigger picture**
What is unfolding in southeast Georgia is consistent with a decade-long pattern of intensifying spring fire seasons across the American South. The southeastern United States historically has a spring fire season running from February through May, driven by cured grasses and low relative humidity. But a Southeastern Climate Adaptation Science Center analysis published in January 2026 found that the average area burned per fire event in the region had increased by 34 percent over the previous fifteen years, driven primarily by drought intensification.
For homeowners and communities in the region, the immediate priority is evacuation compliance. Insurance claims in the aftermath of wildfire destruction frequently become contentious when residents delay evacuation and then sustain additional losses while attempting to protect property. Georgia Emergency Management officials urged all residents in active evacuation zones to leave immediately and not return until official clearance is given.
The next critical window is the 48-hour forecast beginning 27 April. National Weather Service meteorologists warned of continued dry conditions and winds through at least 29 April — giving firefighters little prospect of the sustained calm they need to push containment above 50 percent on the Pineland Road Fire. As of the evening of 26 April, no fatalities had been confirmed, but officials cautioned that the investigation of destroyed structures was ongoing.
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As of 26 April 2026, the Pineland Road Fire in Brantley County had burned more than 32,000 acres — roughly 50 square miles — with containment at less than 20 percent. A second fire, the U.S. Highway 82 Fire, added another 9,572 acres nearby.
How many homes have the Georgia wildfires destroyed?
More than 120 homes and businesses had been destroyed across southeast Georgia as of 26 April 2026, according to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.
Why are the Georgia wildfires so severe in spring 2026?
Historic drought conditions in southeast Georgia and northern Florida, combined with winds gusting above 20 mph, have created explosive fire conditions. The region's soil moisture was at multi-decade lows for late April, according to the National Weather Service.
Should residents near the fires evacuate?
Georgia Emergency Management officials have issued mandatory evacuation preparation orders for parts of Glynn County bordering Brantley County as of 26 April 2026. Residents in active evacuation zones are urged to leave immediately and not return without official clearance.
