Volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews died while fighting a fire in northern Florida. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the cause of death was a sudden medical problem that occurred during surgery.
—Kevin was the epitome of courage and sacrifice. His sacrifice will never be forgotten, said local fire chief Jerry Johnson, quoted by the Los Angeles Times.
Fires in the USA. Many houses destroyed, immediate evacuations
The worst damage was reported in southeast Georgia, where two massive fires have consumed more than 120 homes and hundreds more remain at immediate risk. Due to the dynamic situation, the authorities ordered immediate evacuations in the most endangered sectors.
According to data provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local authorities, at least 800 people were ordered to leave their homes in Brantley County alone. Hundreds more residents were evacuated across the region.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp estimated that the scale of destruction may be the largest in the state's history. One of the fires, which investigators believe could have been started by an aluminum balloon touching power lines, covered an area of approximately 12,000 square meters. 950 hectares, an area more than twice the size of Manhattan. The second element, in Brantley County, spread to approximately 2,070 hectares and was only 15 percent contained.
“There is no way to stop this fire,” Governor Kemp admitted. In his opinion, in the current weather conditions, firefighters can only limit its spread and count on the arrival of rain.
According to the USA Today daily, at least 20 large, uncontrolled fires were recorded throughout the region, and 90 new outbreaks appeared in just one day. The newspaper emphasized that rescue services work in extremely difficult conditions, giving priority to securing evacuation corridors for civilians.
The largest fire in Georgia, the Pineland Road Fire, burned more than 12,000 acres. 550 hectares and was only 10% contained, while another one, the Highway 82 Fire, burned over 2,000 hectares. hectares.
“This is still a dynamic fire situation,” warned local official Joey Cason, quoted by American media. He appealed to residents to immediately comply with evacuation orders and leave the endangered areas.
At least 134 fires were active in Florida on Friday, covering a total of more than 10,000. 500 hectares. The fire has forced authorities to close key roads and issue air quality warnings as smoke moves hundreds of kilometers away from the fire's sources.
Experts indicate that the scale of the disaster is due to severe drought, strong winds and dead trees previously felled by Hurricane Helene, which provide excellent fuel for the flames.
