Wildfires are intensifying across the southeastern United States, particularly in south-east Georgia and north-east Florida. Fast-moving blazes in southern Georgia have spread rapidly over the last two days, destroying more than 50 homes in rural areas.
The growing threat has forced hundreds of evacuations and led to school closures in some communities. Some of the largest blazes are occurring along Georgia's coast and around Jacksonville, Florida, as Florida faces one of its worst fire seasons in decades.
Driven by strong winds, low humidity, and worsening drought conditions, smoke has drifted into Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, causing air quality to decline. In response to the rising wildfire activity, the Georgia Forestry Commission issued the first mandatory burn ban in the state’s history, effective across 91 counties in the lower half of the state.