LULATON — Officials are calling the rain Friday night and into Saturday a “real blessing.”
Approximately a half-inch to 1.5 inches of rain fell across Brantley County May 1 and May 2 allowing firefighting crews to strengthen containment lines and mop up areas with heat signatures.
It marked the second significant rain fall in the now threeweek- old Hwy. 82 Brantley County fire that has scorched approximately 22,600 acres including approximately 110 homes.
The first “much needed” rain came Sunday, April 26 when 3/10ths of inch to a little over an inch fell. An isolated cell brought brief, heavy downpours to areas near Waynesville and Atkinson. The Browntown community also saw periods of heavy rain.
Unfortunately, neither shower was enough to immediately extinguish the deepseated, peat-driven fires.
The good news, however, was the latest rainfall helped firefighters get the wildfire 75 percent contained. Heading into May 1, the fire was at 45 percent containment.
“This rain has been a real blessing for us,” said Casey Tudor with the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC). “Most of the fire activity today (Saturday, May 2) is going to be smoldering. It has allowed us to get out in front of the fire and minimize its intensity and hot spots.
“But, it (rain) can hide smoke and heat signatures to the naked eye.”
To find what can’t be seen from the ground, emergency crews are scanning from the sky using drones equipped with infrared cameras to detect heat spots before they reignite.
The drones collect heat signature coordinates which are sent to crews on the ground. Firefighters break up the soil and add water until it’s cool.
“Areas aren’t considered contained until hot spots are out and the ground is cool,” Tudor said.
Also, all mandatory evacuations have been lifted, according to Karen Miranda-Gleason, a public information officer with the Southern Area Incident Management Team.
Roadways across the county are now open, except for portions of Highway 32 that remain closed at Highway 110 and Browntown Road. The county-wide curfew has been lifted and schools were in session Monday.
