BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. – All mandatory evacuations have been lifted, and containment of the fire is now at 64%, according to Karen Miranda-Gleason, a public information officer with the Southern Area Incident Management Team.
Highway 32 could reopen as soon as tomorrow if conditions hold, said Gleason.
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Multiple agencies held a one-stop information session Saturday morning to connect Brantley County residents with aid at Atkinson Elementary School.
The Highway 82 Fire destroyed 110 homes and forced residents to seek guidance on next steps.
“Many people have lost everything, so they don’t have clothes [and] they have to worry about getting medicine. They don’t have anything,” said Gleason. “Whatever people think that they may need to be able to recover, that’s really what this event is about.”
The following agencies were at this event and are available for future assistance to Brantley County residents:
- Other local agencies
Jeremy McLendon, director of disaster relief operations for the American Red Cross, said assistance can range from food to housing, and people in need can call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
“They will get that information to my team that’s on the ground, and we’re triaging those calls to make sure that we contact those individuals,” McLendon said.
Gregory Brooks, executive administrator for the Emerge Chaplains Response Team, said the group is bringing in about 50 RVs to support those displaced. The group is also providing mental and spiritual aid.
“A lot of them when they’re facing a lot of trauma in their life, it disrupts them completely to the point where they feel like giving up,” he said.
The Brantley County Sheriff’s Office shared that residents in Zones 25 and 26, which includes Northern Browntown, were able to return to their homes Saturday. Browntown Road is now open.
Drew Mickolay, a public information officer with the Southern Area Complex Incident Management team, said patrols would continue in the area.
“With all the rain, crews will still be out doing some patrolling. If they come across some hot spots they find, they’ll be working on those,” he said.