Smoke from two active wildfires in neighboring counties is expected to drop close to the ground in Glynn County after 8 p.m. Wednesday, making driving on US Highway 82 and nearby roads potentially dangerous.
What’s Happening: A large, fast-moving wildfire is burning near Highway 82/520 in Brantley County. A separate fire has scorched 9,000 acres in Clinch County. Smoke from both fires is drifting into Glynn County. The county has partially activated its Emergency Operations Center, a facility used to manage emergency response, to track conditions as they develop.
The Smoke Threat: The National Weather Service office in Jacksonville forecasts that smoke will settle near ground level after 8 p.m. Wednesday. That low-hanging smoke is expected to make driving significantly harder on US Highway 82 and surrounding roads. Drivers should use extra caution or avoid those roads after dark.
Wind Forecast: Winds Wednesday are starting out of the south and are expected to shift east to west around 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. Sustained speeds are forecast at 8 to 12 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph at the tops of the tree canopy.
Burn Ban Still in Effect: Glynn County’s burn ban remains in place with no end date. No rain is expected for the next 10 days. Residents may not burn yard debris or use personal fireworks while the ban is active. Officials say even a small fire can spread out of control quickly under current dry conditions.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
