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Brantley County wildfire destroys 47 buildings; Burn ban in effect

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Published  April 22, 2026 11:06am EDT
Georgia
FOX 5 Atlanta
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Brantley County wildfire (Action News Jax)

The Brief

    • A massive wildfire in Brantley County has destroyed dozens of structures after exploding in size overnight.
    • Residents near Highway 82 are under evacuation orders, and local schools have been forced to shut down.
    • Smoke from the blaze is reaching as far as metro Atlanta, prompting a statewide mandatory burn ban.

BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. - At least 47 buildings have been destroyed in South Georgia as a wildfire burns uncontrolled in Brantley County, according to officials.

What we know:

The 47 different buildings were destroyed overnight after the fire grew nearly ten times in size, according to Action News Jax, the FOX affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida. The fire has forced evacuations in the area around Highway 82 and forced schools to close in the area.

The fire is listed as 10% contained, according to the state forestry commission. 

LIVE: Wildfire smoke prompts haze concerns in metro Atlanta skies

The smoke from this fire and another one in Clinch County is slowly moving into metro Atlanta, causing hazy conditions. With rain not expected until this weekend, the state has issued a mandatory burn ban for every county across Georgia.

What we don't know:

It's unknown if any injuries or deaths have been caused by the fire. 

What's next:

An update on the fire is expected around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, and FOX 5 plans to stream that live.

The Source: Information in this article came from Action News Jax and Georgia state officials.

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