JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Highway 82 fire in Brantley County, Georgia, continues to grow at a rapid pace.
As of Monday morning, the fire now covers 22,614 acres and is only 6% contained.
Conditions over the weekend were not ideal for containment due to the lower humidity, dry ground and the breeze.
Due to the rapidly evolving conditions with wind and directional change, evacuations remain in place in Glynn County, some voluntary or mandatory. (See the list here)
While a severe thunderstorm dropped around 1 inch of rain on Sunday along a front in Brantley County, it didn’t do much to increase containment.
It was also very windy there as winds gusted up to 60 mph at times.
Behind the front, the wind has changed direction once again and is now northeasterly to easterly.
This will make containment of the fire difficult due to the directional change, along with the gusty wind. Winds could gust up to 20 to 30 mph at times.
Due to the wind, smoke will push to the west/southwest today and will bring pockets of low visibility to some spots.
This will also lower air quality for areas that had healthy levels over the weekend.
Speaking of air quality, several areas are in the “unhealthy” category, which means there are impacts even for non-sensitive groups.
The most hazardous air quality will likely shift into western Brantley and Ware counties in Georgia today, thanks to the wind.
The wind will remain elevated throughout the week, especially as we head into Wednesday and Thursday. A front will bring gusty winds to the area during that period and showers and storms will be possible as well.