Wildfire in Brantley, Georgia

On April 20, 2026 at 4 PM EDT, the Georgia Forestry Commission reported a wildfire developed along Highway 82 near Atkinson, GA. The Highway 82 fire was caused by a Mylar balloon coming into contact with a power line, creating an electrical arc that ignited the surrounding vegetation. This wildfire resulted in the worst home loss from a single fire in Georgia history across three counties, with 110 homes destroyed and 27 homes damaged. Per the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), the fire was 98% contained on June 3rd. The fire became 100% contained on June 10th. The total cost of the fire across three counties was $19,371,895.

Extreme to exceptional drought, dry fuels, and breezy days triggered numerous wildfires in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida in April that continued to burn into June. Multiple rounds of beneficial rain fell across the wildfires in May helped the final containment of local ongoing wildfires in June.