Wildfires burning across the southeastern U.S. were intensifying Wednesday after destroying nearly 50 homes in Georgia and forcing evacuations and school closures in some communities.
Some of the biggest blazes were along Georgia’s coast and between and around Jacksonville, Florida, a state that is facing one of its worst fire seasons in decades. It was not yet clear how the wildfires started, but a long drought, low humidity and strong winds were fueling them.
