BRANTLEY COUNTY, Fla. — A fast-moving wildfire in Brantley County is forcing families to flee, leaving behind homes, memories, and loved ones in its path.
Action News Jax spoke with one woman now grappling with devastating loss as she searches for what matters most.
When the trunk of Brianna Elliott’s car opens, it reveals what remains of her life — clothes and belongings hastily packed as the fire moved in. Aside from that, she said, all she has left is a Zillow photo of the home she shared with her fiancé in Atkinson.
“That house had all our memories… my clothes, my fiancé’s clothes… his mom and dad’s things,” Elliott said. “They passed away when he was little.”
There are no photos of the damage. Elliott said that is because nothing remains.
“These are the only clothes I have… I’ve been in them for about two days now because I have nothing,” she said.
Her car now sits where her home once stood, along a road still blocked off by thick gray smoke, a sign that fire danger remains.
Elliott said she was not home when the fire moved through and had no chance to return.
“I couldn’t even go to my house to grab anything,” she said.
But beyond the loss of her home, Elliott said she is mourning something even more painful — her six missing dogs.
She named them one by one: Elvis, Princess, Winter, Ranger, Midnight and Smoky.
“Ranger, Midnight and Smoky… they were the smallest,” she said. “I miss them. I hope they’re okay.”
As smoke continues to hang in the air, Elliott said she is still holding onto hope that the dogs she calls her family will somehow make it back to her.
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