Volunteer Firefighter Dies Battling Florida Wildfire as Georgia Blazes Destroy Over 120 Homes

A volunteer firefighter died while battling a brush fire in northern Florida, as wildfires in southeast Georgia destroyed more than 120 homes and prompted evacuation orders for thousands more. James 'Kevin' Crews suffered an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing the brush fire, according to the Nassau County Sheriff's Office. He was rushed to a hospital and died Thursday evening.

In southeast Georgia, 87 homes burned in rural Brantley County this week, representing the highest number ever destroyed by a single wildfire in the state's history, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp stated. An additional 35 homes have been lost to a fire in Clinch and Echols counties near the Florida state line.

The fire in Clinch and Echols counties has consumed approximately 50 square miles. The Brantley County fire spans over 11 square miles and continues to grow. The Brantley County fire was 15% contained by Friday, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission.

An estimated 4,000 homes in Brantley County were under evacuation orders, said Georgia Forestry Commission spokesperson Seth Hawkins. Investigators suspect the Brantley County fire was sparked by a foil party balloon that struck live power lines, creating an electrical arc that ignited the ground, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.

The larger fire in Clinch and Echols counties is believed to have started when a man was welding a gate outdoors, according to Kemp. The Southeast is experiencing an unusually high number of wildfires this spring. Scientists attribute the high number of wildfires to extreme drought, powerful winds, climate change, and dead trees toppled by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

Firefighters are battling more than 150 other wildfires across Georgia and Florida. In Florida, firefighters were contending with over 120 wildfires on Friday, predominantly in the northern half. Georgia fire crews responded to 31 new, relatively small blazes on Thursday, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission.

Possible showers are forecast for the weekend but are not expected to bring sufficient rainfall. Long-range forecasts predict less than average rainfall until July. 'It is going to take 8 to 10 inches of rain before these fires can be extinguished,' said Johnny Sabo, director of the Georgia Forestry Commission.

Michael Gibson's mobile home was consumed by the fire. Gibson was at work when his fiancée called urging him to return home, and he managed to get his family to safety but was prevented by police from returning to salvage belongings. Jennifer Murphy from the Brantley County community of Hortense gathered her dog Chip and a single bag of belongings before evacuating.

Murphy spent the night at a local church after evacuating.