Live Updates: Highway 82 wildfire grows to 22,615 acres, at 6% containment

Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County

By Malina Cureton

BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. — UPDATE 5:45 PM: The Brantley County Sheriff’s Office announces that the following roads are now open:

  • Post Road (side roads off Post that are not through roads are open)
  • Eastern portion of Albert Gibson (west of Boots Harrison remains CLOSED)
  • Eastern portion of Murphy Road to Mineral Springs

UPDATE 5:04 PM: The Brantley County Sheriff’s Office informs the public that the reentry into residences along the Hwy 110 corridor will be required to show proof of residence at Satilla Grocery/HWY 259 or 32/301 intersection at the open lot on the west side of 301, where they will be issued a placard so that they can come and go in this voluntary evacuation.

The sheriff’s office says children under 18 need to be accompanied by an adult in this voluntary evacuation area at all times. 

No commercial vehicles on Highway 110.

Residents will be issued a placard upon entry, as it is for residents only.

UPDATE 3:45 PM: The National Interagency Fire Center has announced that the fire has grown to 22,615 acres, bringing it to 6% contained.

Wayne County Emergency Management announced that the fire had crossed the county line and was heading north.

The Brantley County wildfire has expanded as fire crews battle historic drought conditions. The fire has destroyed homes.

pio_11x17_port_20260427_0643_Hwy82_GAGAS130044_0427day by ActionNewsJax

Brantley County wildfire evacuation map

Current Evacuations:

Brantley County

Mandatory Evacuations

  • North: Highway 32
  • South: Highway 82
  • West: Highway 110
  • East: Post Road

Voluntary Evacuations

Brantley County and Wayne County EMA have issued a Voluntary Evacuation for:

  • Highway 32 East of Needmore Road, Highway 301 up to Ed Harrell Road, includes all areas in these boundaries.

The Brantley County Sheriff’s Office says residents in the area should be prepared to leave if conditions worsen.

Wayne County

Mandatory Evacuations

  • From the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Mt. Pleasant Road to the county line (7926 Mt. Pleasant Rd to 92 Mobile Rd)

Voluntary Evacuations

  • The entire community of Manningtown
  • The area from the Brantley County line at Wire Road to Post Road to Ten Mile Road, including all areas in between

Glynn County

Voluntary Evacuations

  • Old Post area between Route 32 and Route 341
  • Alpine Road
  • Gilley Road
  • Boones Branch Road
  • Sallie Cline Road
  • Mauney Street
  • Chelsea Circle
  • Post Road north of Highway 82
  • Old Post Road north of Highway 32
  • Old Post Road to Highway 32
  • Highway 32 to Thalman Park Lane
  • Thalman Park Lane to Bladen Road
  • Bladen Road to Old Post Road

Evacuation Shelters

  • The American Red Cross Shelter - Day and Night - Accepts Pets
    • 100 Genoa Martin Drive, Brunswick, GA 31520
  • Southside Baptist Church - Day
    • 550 School St., Nahunta, GA 31553
  • Nahunta United Methodist Church - Day 
    • 107 E. Cleveland St., Nahunta, GA 31553
  • Unity Church of God - Day and Night
    • 1580 Sunset Blvd, Jesup, GA 31545
  • Venture of Faith Camp - Day and Night
    • 1309 Highway 135 South, Lake Park, GA 31636

You can also visit the link here for additional information.

Mandatory curfew

  • Brantley County has a mandatory curfew from 8:30 P.M. to 6:30 A.M. will remain in effect through the duration of this incident. There is a burn ban in place for all counties in South Georgia.

Current road closures:

Brantley County

  • Highway 110 W – from Highway 82 to Highway 32
  • Highway 32 – from Highway 301 to Post Road
  • Browntown Road – from Highway 82 to the Wayne County line

Wayne County

  • Manningtown Rd & Ron Rd
  • Post Rd @ Ten Mile Rd to Wayne–Brantley line
  • Wire Rd to Brantley line
  • Mt. Pleasant Rd @ Browntown Rd

Glynn County

  • Hwy 32 (Hwy 301 to Hwy 99)
  • Hwy 110 (Hwy 32 to Hwy 82)
  • Hwy 82

Destroyed homes in current wildfires most in Georgia’s history

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who toured much of the scorched areas in the southern part of the state on Friday, said the 120 homes lost to wildfires in Brantley and Clinch counties are the most in the state’s history.

“The two fires we’re fighting, among many others in Georgia, ... the Pineland fire and the Highway 82 fire rank No. 1 and 2 in the country,” Kemp said during a news briefing Friday at the Waycross-Ware County Airport. “So we got the two most dangerous, biggest, problematic fires anywhere in the United States in the small area we’re having to fight. It’s a lot for us to deal with.”

How Brantley Co. fire started

Officials said the wildfire in Brantley County was started by a balloon from a kids’ birthday party that landed on a power line and created an arc, which caught the ground on fire.

County-by-County Wildfires Update

Northeast Florida

Baker County

  • Sargent Fire - 2,523 acres, 81% contained

Bradford County

  • Deden Fire - 180 acres, 50% contained

Columbia County

  • Gun Range Fire - 129 acres, 60% contained

Clay, Putnam counties

  • Railroad Fire - 4796 acres, 80% contained

Putnam County

  • Pace Court Fire - 343 acres, 85% contained
  • Mondex 3 Fire - 419 acres, 30% contained

Southeast Georgia

Brantley County

  • Highway 82 Fire - 20,933 acres, 7% contained

Clinch County

  • Pineland Road Fire - 32,003 acres, 10% contained.

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