WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A ‘CONTROLLED’ FIRE AND A ‘CONTAINED’ FIRE?<\/a><\/p>\n One of two major Georgia wildfires jumped a containment line Friday, as the community north of Jacksonville mourned Hilliard, Florida, firefighter<\/a>, James “Kevin” Crews, who was killed in the line of duty on Thursday battling the Old Dixie Highway Fire.<\/p>\n HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER<\/a><\/p>\n Flames from the Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County, Georgia, broke containment lines Friday, as the wildfire grew by more than 1,000 acres, reaching 9,578 acres by early Saturday, according to officials.<\/p>\n First responders went door-to-door Friday telling people to leave nearby mandatory evacuation zones.<\/p>\n \u00a0FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray spent much of this week covering the two large wildfires in Georgia. He gives an update on how containment efforts are going for the fires.\u00a0<\/p>\n Emergency workers said an American Red Cross shelter would be opened in nearby Brunswick to provide those displaced with an air-conditioned space.<\/p>\n Video from FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray showed the devastation caused by the Brantley County fire in Nahunta<\/a>, including charred cars and burnt down buildings.<\/p>\n THESE EVERYDAY COMMODITIES MAY COST YOU MORE AS SEVERE DROUGHT TRICKLES DOWN TO CONSUMERS<\/a><\/p>\n The largest fires are burning across southern Georgia, including the Pineland Road Fire, which has scorched more than 32,000 acres roughly 45 miles east of Valdosta.<\/p>\n Wildfire burning in southeast Georgia on April 22, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n (Georgia Forestry Commission \/ FOX Weather)<\/p>\n The fires have destroyed nearly 90 homes across southern Georgia amid historic drought<\/a> conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Earlier in the week, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency across 91 counties and enacted the first mandatory burn ban in the state’s history over the next 30 days.<\/p>\n Wildfire burns in Brantley County, Georgia.<\/p>\n (Brantley County Sheriff’s Office \/ FOX Weather)<\/p>\n “We’ve got the two most dangerous, biggest, problematic fires anywhere in the U.S.,” Kemp said Friday after touring the damage caused by the two major blazes.<\/p>\n According to the FOX Forecast Center, smoke will continue to blanket parts of the Southeast, which could be hazardous for those with respiratory issues.<\/p>\n Air Quality Alerts remain for the Carolinas, eastern Georgia and the Jacksonville, Florida area.<\/p>\n MOST OF COLORADO IS AT RISK OF DANGEROUS WILDFIRES AS WARM, DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST<\/a><\/p>\n A North Collier County fireman helps the Florida Forest Service battle a wildfire on April 14, 2026, in Naples, Florida. The historic drought has triggered evacuations in the area.<\/p>\n (Joe Raedle\/Getty Images \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Across the state line, several wildfires are raging across northern Florida, including the Old Dixie Fire outside of Hilliard, which claimed the life of Nassau County volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the Nassau County Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/a>, Crews experienced a medical emergency while battling the 500-acre wildfire on Thursday. The fire has since been contained.<\/p>\n![\"Wildfire](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/677116224_1385981956895730_5419353497343392443_n.jpg\")
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