WAYNESVILLE, Ga. — Georgia Forestry is investigating a wildfire in Brantley County that destroyed at least 3 homes and 6 cars in Waynesville.
The Nahunta Volunteer Fire Department, one of 13 agencies that responded to the fire on Tuesday afternoon, says it was started by a man who lit a fire nearby, without a permit, while trying to clear land.
Firefighters say the flames spread over more than eight acres, in total, going over Harrington, Tyson and Couper roads. Action News Jax’s Finn Carlin spoke with a woman who didn’t know the fire was happening until she went outside.
“I walk outside and my whole entire neighbor’s yard was on fire,” said Halee Toler, who was alerted to the fire by a man screaming outside of her house, “up behind the house on the side of the house, everything was exploding.”
Toler says she had just lit a candle inside her home on Couper Road when she started smelling smoke. She had assumed it was from the candle but had no idea her street was burning around her. It wasn’t until she went outside that she says she had to decide whether to protect herself or her home.
“It felt like a warzone, almost, like there’s propane tanks exploding everywhere, there’s bullets popping everywhere,” Toler said.
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The Nahunta Volunteer Fire Department says the call about the fire first came through at around 2:53 PM. By the time they got there, firefighters say the street looked pitch black in the middle of the afternoon.
“This was its own monster. This was almost incomparable to what we’ve recently experienced,” said Andrew Altman, who helps run the volunteer fire department.
Altman says even with the 80 first responders who worked to put the fire out, it was one of the worst he has ever fought. He says no fire in the area has ever burned through so much property.
“It was extremely difficult to breathe, it was difficult to see, we could barely see where the driveways are,” Altman said.
The man who started the fire hasn’t been named. It’s unclear whether he will be facing charges.
Some neighbors on the street have started a fundraiser asking for help in their family’s recovery after losing their home. If you would like to donate, you can do so here.
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