Several wildfires in south Georgia cause evacuations and unhealthy air quality
On Wednesday morning, Earth Day, environmental groups delivered a petition with 26,000 signatures to mining company Chemours, asking them to never mine or source titanium in the area that is not protected near Trail Ridge of the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia.
Chemours agreed to a temporary commitment to avoid the Okefenokee, but it has refused to make a permanent pledge, Environment Georgia said in a news release. There are still 20,000 acres that were not included in the nearly 8,000 acres protected from a purchase last June.
But news of this petition delivered to Chemours CEO Denise Dignam was clouded by the rapid spread of wildfires surrounding the swamp, smothering much of Georgia in wildfire smoke and causing evacutions throughout southern counties.
The Pineland Road Fire in Clinch and Echols County and the Brantley Highway Fire in Brantley County have exponentially grown in three days due to extremely dry conditions from the state’s extreme drought.
The Pineland Road Fire is now at 16,000 acres, up from 3,000 on April 18, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission’s map update. Georgia state Sen. Russ Goodman (R-Cogdell), a resident of Clinch County, told the Ledger-Enquirer it grew from a few three acres to to 9,000 in a day.
“You can’t do anything when it’s as dry as it is here,” he said.
It is the dryest eight months Georgia has seen since recordkeeping began, according to NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).
On the other side of the swamp in Brantley County, near Waynesville on Highway 82, reports from several news outlets show anywhere from 1,500 acres to 5,000 acres have burned from a fire that started April 21. Waynesville Elementary School was evacuated yesterday, and school was canceled today, according to First Coast News.
Both fires are less than 10% contained, and the Georgia Forestry Commission is leading efforts to contain them.
Places like Brunswick and Valdosta have unhealthy air quality, and the South Health District of the Georgia Department of Public Health encouages residents to stay inside:
“Stay indoors if you smell or see smoke, and keep windows and doors closed,” said Kristin Patten of the Southern Health Center. “If A/C has a recirculation feature, turn it on. If you go outdoors, avoid strenuous activity that would make you breathe heavier. Wear an N-95 mask if you are in a high risk population.”
Wildfires affecting Columbus and Macon
Several wildfires in middle Georgia have impacted Columbus and Macon air quality. As of Wednesday morning, both are at very unhealthy levels.
Wildfire smoke has reached as far north as Atlanta. Wednesday morning Gov. Brian Kemp spoke about the wildfires in a Georgia Forestry Commission news release, emphasizing the entire state south of Atlanta is now in a burn ban.
“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,” Kemp said.
Several wildfires in northern Florida are adding to the smoke, according to AccuWeather. No rain is in the forecast, and evacuation updates can be found on county emergency management Facebook pages.
“Drought and fire already threaten the Okefenokee,” said Environment Georgia director Jennette Gayer. “We know strip mining Trail Ridge would super-charge the threat of out-of-control fires,”
The Ledger-Enquirer tried to reach Chemours for comment but didn’t receive a reply before publication.
This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Several wildfires in south Georgia cause evacuations and unhealthy air quality."
