ENVIRONMENT

Governor Kemp declares emergency amid Georgia wildfire surge

PUBLISHED Apr 22, 2026, 2:32 PM ET

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Sources: 11

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Sources: 11

ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Wednesday for 91 Georgia counties, ordered the Georgia Forestry Commission and related agencies to mobilize all necessary resources, and the state forester issued a broad outdoor burn ban to reduce wildfire spread amid extreme drought, while air assets and National Guard personnel were activated for response efforts. The 30-day emergency order allows the Georgia Department of Defense to deploy Guardsmen and air assets and includes anti-price-gouging measures; this week smoke from multiple south Georgia fires reduced air quality across the region, prompting a Code Orange alert in metro Atlanta Thursday and reporting containment at roughly 10 percent in Clinch County and 15 percent in Brantley County.

By Shahbaz A. | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

Persistent drought raised wildfire risk across Georgia earlier this season.
State forester issued a burn ban covering 91 counties early Wednesday.
Gov. Brian Kemp declared a 30-day state of emergency Wednesday for 91 counties.
Georgia National Guard air assets and Guardsmen were activated and deployed to affected areas.
Smoke drifted north, prompting a Code Orange air quality alert in metro Atlanta Thursday.

News Intelligence

Wildfires can affect your health and safety. Smoke from these fires has already triggered a Code Orange air quality alert in Atlanta. If you're in the affected counties, limit outdoor activities. Check local news for updates on air quality and evacuation orders.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 11
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 0
Neutral:: 11
Distribution:: Left 0%, Center 100%, Right 0%

Who Benefited

State and local emergency response agencies and contractors obtained increased access to resources, air assets, and National Guard support to fight wildfires and assist affected communities.

Who Impacted

Residents in south Georgia and surrounding metro areas suffered from property loss, smoke-related health impacts, and displacement due to expanding wildfires and drought-driven conditions.