NAHUNTA, Ga. — Firefighters in Georgia and Florida continue to fight wildfires raging amid a historic drought and extremely dry conditions, but some rainfall on Monday eased some fire danger.
The community north of Jacksonville mourned Hilliard, Florida, firefighter, James "Kevin" Crews, who was killed in the line of duty on Thursday battling the Old Dixie Highway Fire.
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Firefighters in Georgia continue to battle two large wildfires that, combined, total more than 55,000 acres.
In Brantley County, firefighters got a small reprieve on Monday night when rain helped ease fire danger and allowed firefighters to reach 32% containment on the Highway 82 Fire.
Brantley County Sheriff's Office lifted some of the evacuation orders for residents east of the fire zone, but evacuation orders remain in place for others.
The Georgia National Guard was on scene helping aid local firefighters in the fight for containment.
FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray on Friday noted some of the devastation caused by the Brantley County fire in Nahunta, including charred cars and burnt down buildings.
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The Pineland Road Fire also continues to rage across south Georgia, burning more than 32,500 acres roughly 45 miles east of Valdosta.
The fire was 23 percent contained as of Tuesday, the Georgia Forestry Commission said.
Collectively, the fires have destroyed nearly 90 homes across southern Georgia amid historic drought conditions.
Earlier in the week, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency across 91 counties and enacted the first mandatory burn ban in the state's history over the next 30 days.
"We've got the two most dangerous, biggest, problematic fires anywhere in the U.S.," Kemp said Friday after touring the damage caused by the two major blazes.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, smoke will continue to blanket parts of the Southeast, which could be hazardous for those with respiratory issues.
Air Quality Alerts remain for the Carolinas, eastern Georgia and the Jacksonville, Florida, area.
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Across the state line, northern Florida firefighters were battling several wildfires, including the Old Dixie Fire outside of Hilliard, which claimed the life of Nassau County volunteer firefighter James "Kevin" Crews.
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According to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the firefighter experienced a medical emergency while battling the 500-acre wildfire on Thursday. The fire has since been contained.
The nearby Railroad/Crews Rd Fire, south of Jacksonville, was 75% contained as of Sunday. The fire scorched 4,795 acres and forced Amtrak to cancel several train routes last week.
Burn bans have been in effect across 38 Florida counties, amid the state’s worst drought in 25 years.
Both Florida and Georgia are almost entirely covered in drought conditions, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor.
The FOX Forecast Center said more rain is possible in Georgia by mid- to late-week.
However, officials said much more precipitation is needed to fully relieve fire and drought conditions.
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