U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) toured the fire-ravaged area of Brantley County Monday, traveling through dense haze in areas still smoldering.
“I was able to see firsthand the disaster that struck that area, miles and miles, acres and acres of charred forest land, the loss of some 100 homes,” he told The Current GA. “I was able to meet with some of the folks who’ve been devastated by this.”
The Highway 82 fire in Brantley County began April 20 after a Mylar balloon struck a power line, resulting in an electrical arc that ignited surrounding vegetation, according to officials. By Tuesday the fire had grown to more than 22,000 acres, forcing evacuations and destroying property. A light rain on Sunday, combined with higher humidity and firefighting efforts, brought containment to 32% by Tuesday.
As he boarded a plane in Savannah Monday evening to head back to Washington, Warnock was focused on the federal response.
FEMA supports state-led wildfire fighting efforts through a variety of grant programs.
“This is a time when we need our Department of Homeland Security, which includes FEMA, to be at its best,” he said.
The agency is not fully operational because of the partial government shutdown in effect since Feb. 14, 2026. The Senate unanimously passed a bill on March 27 to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, but it has yet to be taken up by the U.S. House.
“The bill passed the Senate on a bipartisan basis, unanimously, and what we’re witnessing in Georgia is just a reminder that these things are happening all the time,” he said. “Mother Nature is not waiting on politicians to get their act together and pass the bill.”
FEMA issued a Fire Management Assistance Declaration on April 22 for the Highway 82 fire. FEMA Region 4, headquartered in Atlanta, also responded Monday on social media to rumors about its actions.
“Rumors that FEMA stopped aid or pulled firefighters from the Brantley County fire in Georgia are FALSE. FEMA is supporting this locally led, state managed response through the Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG) Program to help reimburse fire suppression efforts,” they wrote on social media channel X.
Declarations unleash certain parts of the government to respond with resources, Warnock said in during online press conference Tuesday.
“So I’m on the phone, I’m writing letters, I’m joining other members of the delegation to escalate whatever requests are made to the federal government, and we speak with one voice, a Georgia voice, to make sure that the administration delivers what is needed and that we do it as quickly as possible.”
FEMA was set up with recognition that local communities don’t always have the resources to deal with natural disasters like a massive wildfire, Warnock said.
“These are parts of our state where there are high levels of poverty to begin with,” Warnock said Tuesday. “I saw a lot of mobile homes and trailers yesterday. You know, small, very, very simple homes, just ordinary, salt of the earth people trying to make their lives work. We have a lot of resources at the federal level, and I’ve been working very hard to make sure that we get the necessary declarations made.”
Warnock said he is also focused on farmers, many of whom are still recovering from losses they incurred from Hurricane Helene in September.
“I might point out that our farmers have really been catching it, if you will, with these natural disasters and now there’s fire and at a time when their budgets are being strained by other economic realities, (like) the tariffs,” he said. “So we’ve got to do everything we can to protect our farmers.”
Warnock said he spoke with Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper on Sunday to reassure him that he would work to provide whatever federal assistance he could to Georgia farmers.
The Tide brings regular notes and observations on news and events by The Current staff.
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