BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. — More Brantley County homeowners are being let back onto their property this week to survey the damage around their homes stemming from the Highway 82 Fire. Action News Jax’s Zion Decoteau spoke with one homeowner who gave him an up-close look at the damage.
Action News Jax met registered nurse Teri Wright from Brantley County at Satilla Grocery. Despite coming off a 12-hour shift, she took us for a ride-along into fire-damaged areas of her neighborhood, which is restricted to residents only.
The Action News Jax crew drove with Wright on Brownstown Road. The area looked as if it were autumn, in the middle of spring. When the flames came to Wright last week, she didn’t have much time to evacuate.
“I evacuated last Thursday, mandatory evacuation was processed so we…I think I had about five minutes to leave. I already had my car packed,” Wright said.
Wright couldn’t go back home for six days. But she was one of the lucky ones. Her house is still standing, and she has support.
“I had people that helped me, and took me in. And my church family, but a lot of people didn’t have that,” Wright added.
We also saw the residents-only area of Georgia State Road 110, where dirt and trees were charred from apparent fire burns.
“I think one of the things that happened during this fire is that it would be close then it would be far away. It would come back our way from the wind or whatever and then it would go to the other side toward Post Road,” Wright said.
She said if there’s one silver lining amid these fires, it’s the sense of community that it’s brought out in Brantley County. Wright is donating whatever she can for wildfire victims. As for what compelled her?
“Well, I have the Holy Ghost, who’s the spirit of Jesus Christ, and he gave a lot to me, so we all try and share,” Wright said.
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