Wildfire expands on St. Catherine's Island as severe drought conditions persist

ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP ... AND HIS PHONE CALL./// WE BEGIN TONIGHT ... WITH A FIRE ... BURNING OUT OF CONTROL ON ST. CATHERINES ISLAND. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO ... SENT US TO FROM A RESIDENT OF NEARBY COLONELS ISLAND. YOU CAN SEE THE FIRE ... BURN ACRES OF LAND ... AND IT HAS BEEN BURNING NOW FOR 10 DAYS./// <> FROM A DISTANCE THE VIDEO IS FRIGHTENING. <> GET CLOSE AND YOU SEE THE FLAMES DEVOURING TREES, GRASS AND ACRES OF LAND ON ST. CATHERINES ISLAND. THIS VIDEO RECORDED THIS EVENING AND SENT TO WJCL 22 NEWS FROM ELIZABETH LYNCH. <> "AS WE GOT CLOSER, IT GOT A LOT DARKER AND A LOT BIGGER AND WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF US BEING THERE THE WHOLE FRONT SIDE OF THE BEACH WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE." THE LIBERTY COUNTY FIRE CHIEF TOLD ME THE FIRE STARTED ON JUNE 10TH AFTER A BARRAGE OF 157 LIGHTENING STRIKES FROM A STORM HIT THE PRIVATE ISLAND. HE TELLS THE FIRE HAS SPREAD TO THE SOUTH AND NORTH SIDE OF THE NATIONAL LANDMARK. NO LIVES ARE IN DANGER AND THERE IS ONE HISTORICAL HOME THAT MIGHT BE THREATENED. <> "THAT IS SOMEWHERE THAT I GO ALL THE TIME TO GO TO THE BEACH AND I HAVE GROWN UP OUT THERE SO IT IS CERTAINLY SAD TO SEE. THE FIRE CHIEF TELLS ME THE GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION IS THE LEAD AGENCY TRYING TO EXTINGUISH THE BLAZE. HERE YOU CAN SEE ONE ITS HELICOPTERS REFILL A BUCKET WITH WATER TO TRY PUT OUT THE FLAMES. THE FIRE CHIEF SAYS THE COMMISSION IS ALSO USING SPECIAL BULL DOZERS TO CUT OFF THE FIRE LANES AND MANPOWER TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE THAT IS BURNING OUT OF CONTROL. <> "I THINK IT IS JUST RIDICULOUS THAT IT IS GONE ON FOR SO LONG AND IT IS HAS GOTTEN THIS OUT OF CONTROL WHEN IT STARTED OFF AS SOMETHING THIS SMALL AND MINISCULE..." JEREMY ...THE LIGHTNING STRIKE ... THAT STARTED THIS FIRE HAPPENED ... OVER A WEEK AGO. WHY IS THE FIRE STILL BURNING?/// WJCL 22 CHIEF METEOROLOGIST JEREMY NELSON'S CERTIFIED MOST ACCURATE FORECAST. THIS EVENING/TONIGHT: MOSTLY CLEAR AND QUIET THIS EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT. WIND: SW-W 5-10 MPH. LOW: MID 60S OUT THE DOOR: A PLEASANT START WITH LOTS OF SUNSHINE. TEMPS: 60S TO LOW 70S TUESDAY: MOSTLY SUNNY AND WARMER. WIND: W-SE 5-12 MPH. HIGH: LOW 90S WEDNESDAY: HOTTER AND INCREASINGLY HUMID. HIGH: UPPER 90S THURSDAY: HOT AND HUMID, SLIGHT CHANCE OF A SHOWER OR T-STORM LATE. HIGH: UPPER 90S FRIDAY: HOT AND HUMID, ISOLATED SHOWER AND T-STORMS POSSIBLE. HIGH: LOW TO MID 90S SATURDAY: PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. HIGH: NEAR 90 SUNDAY: VARIABLE CLOUDS WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH: AROUND 90 MONDAY: PARTLY SUNNY AND HUMID. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. HIGH: NEAR 90 YOU CAN TRACK THE WEATHER

Wildfires continue to burn on St. Catherine's Island that started over a week ago due to lightning strikes. At least one of the fires on the island expanded Monday afternoon. Dry weather paired up with low humidity and breezy conditions pushed the flames to the coast on the north end of the island.An aerial view of the fires courtesy of Clay Sikes shows the largest fire on the north end of the island, with smaller fires continuing to burn on various parts of the island.Severe drought conditions remain in place for a large part of southeast Georgia, including coastal Liberty County. Rainfall totals for 2022 are running above 8 to 11 inches below average in the severe drought area. No relief from the dry weather is expected until at least late Thursday or Friday, and even then rain chances are very low. The best chance of rain coming up is on Saturday as widely scattered showers or thunderstorms are possible. Along with more dry weather, high heat returns this week with temperatures inland reaching the upper 90s by Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures will reach the low 90s at the coast. For the latest weather information and updates on the St. Catherine's Island fire watch WJCL 22 News or check the free WJCL 22 News App. You can get weather updates anytime on social media...follow me on Twitter here or on Facebook here.Jeremy NelsonWJCL 22 Chief Meteorologist

An aerial view of the fires courtesy of Clay Sikes shows the largest fire on the north end of the island, with smaller fires continuing to burn on various parts of the island.

Photo: Clay Sikes

Wildfire on St. Catherine’s Island

Severe drought conditions remain in place for a large part of southeast Georgia, including coastal Liberty County. Rainfall totals for 2022 are running above 8 to 11 inches below average in the severe drought area.

Severe drought continues

Drought monitor

No relief from the dry weather is expected until at least late Thursday or Friday, and even then rain chances are very low. The best chance of rain coming up is on Saturday as widely scattered showers or thunderstorms are possible. Along with more dry weather, high heat returns this week with temperatures inland reaching the upper 90s by Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures will reach the low 90s at the coast.

Dry weather continues

Rain chances next 5 days

For the latest weather information and updates on the St. Catherine's Island fire watch WJCL 22 News or check the free WJCL 22 News App. You can get weather updates anytime on social media...follow me on Twitter here or on Facebook here.

Jeremy Nelson

WJCL 22 Chief Meteorologist

Wildfire expands on St. Catherine's Island as severe drought conditions persist

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