Georgia Woman Saves Her 2 Pets but Loses Home as Wildfire Burns 47 Houses in Area
A chain of events in Georgia was anything but predictable. When Lesia Grogg woke up Tuesday morning to the smell of trees burning near her home in Atkinson, Georgia, she decided to go to work. The Georgia Forestry Commission was working on the nearby wildfire. But things quickly took a turn.
Soon after, the Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook warning that heavy smoke was making visibility difficult out on the roads. Conditions changed quickly when the wind shifted. The fire suddenly expanded to 700 acres, then grew again to 1,000. Less than an hour after the warning was issued, Grogg decided to head back home, trying to rescue whatever she could.
“Only thing I got was my two animals,” Grogg said.
There was simply no time for her to take anything else. Firefighters told her she had to go.
“The firemen were putting the water hose on the top of my roof on my trailer, and they made me leave,” Grogg said.
Thousands of Acres Burned in Hours
Grogg is just one of the Georgia residents who lost her home as the blazes continue to burn across the state.
“It burned over 4,000 acres in a matter of hours as soon as the wind picked up,” Brantley County Manager Joey Cason said of the tragedy.
Cason confirmed 47 homes were completely demolished from the “rapidly moving” blaze.
Fire Threatens to Cross the Satilla River
Cason said the experience has been harrowing for residents, many of whom assumed living near a river automatically meant safety.
“The fire is right on the brink of the river,” he said. “We’re extremely concerned about it moving across the river.”
A State of Emergency Was Declared
Governor Brian Kemp declared a State of Emergency for 91 counties in South Georgia and encouraged the Georgia Forestry Commission to use all the resources they can in the response effort to fight the fires. The State of Emergency will last 30 days.
“With much of Georgia remaining in extreme drought conditions, wildfires have already surpassed the state’s 5-year average and continue to spread,” he said. “We are praying for the families who have lost their homes in these devastating conditions, as well as for the first responders working around the clock.”
The ongoing drought in the region is also amplifying conditions. A burn ban has also been put into place.
“I want to thank Director Sabo, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Georgia EPD, and all those working to address the impacts of this critical drought,” Kemp continued. “Georgia Forestry responders are working hard to battle the wildfires caused by these dry conditions, and I’m encouraging all Georgians to do their part in helping them by adhering to this burn ban.”
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