Why the Southeast is burning – extreme drought is only part of the cause

Large parts of the southeastern U.S. are in the midst of an exceptional drought, and it is fueling dozens of wildfires in Florida and Georgia. One of those wildfires, in southeastern Georgia’s Brantley County, had burned about 90 homes and had spread to more than 20,000 acres by April 27, 2026. Another fire near the Georgia-Florida border had burned more than 30,000 acres and about 35 structures. The smoke from the blazes triggered air quality alerts in Atlanta. Why is a region of the U.S. more often known for thunderstorms and humidity in spring seeing so many wildfires? I teach meteorology at the Georgia Institute of Technology, including how weather patterns can lead to conditions conducive to wildfires. Here’s what’s happening to drive these conditions. Key ingredients for a wildfire Wildfires need a few key ingredients to spread: low relative humidity, dry fuels and strong winds. Much of the Southeast has been in a drought since July 2025. From mid-March to mid-April 2026, the region saw less than a quarter of its normal precipitation for that time of year. As a result, the U.S. Drought Monitor classified most of this region in “extreme” or “exceptional” drought by mid-April. Part of…

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