Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in 21 counties in southeast Georgia.
The counties include Liberty and Long, and cover the Coast, as well as stretching west to Coffee and Lowndes. The declaration focuses on drought conditions and the wildfires that have ignited up in the dry vegetation.
"The governor's decision ensures that the local communities will continue to get everything they need to fight these fires,” U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA 1st) said. “My staff continues to be on the ground daily to help out in any way they can, from making sure local and state officials have all the assistance they need to donating supplies.
"I've visited with the firefighters and local folks down in the area and they are doing an unbelievable job in fighting this disaster. The handling of this is the best I've ever seen."
The southeast Georgia fires have consumed over 100,000 acres since they began. The governor's declaration will guarantee that state resources currently available to support local governments, the Georgia Forestry commission and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency will continue.