Brantley County church steps in to help those who lost everything to growing wildfire

BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. – A wildfire burned 1,500 acres in Brantley County and remained zero p.c contained Tuesday night time. While the hazard grew, neighbors stepped up to help those who lost everything.

Twin Rivers Baptist Church opened its doorways, serving spaghetti, garlic bread, and dessert to residents displaced by the fireplace. Pastor Rusty Bryan mentioned the response was swift.

“We got on the phone tree for the whole church, and we just sent out a message, ‘hey, we need help,’ and boom, people are here,” Bryan mentioned.

RELATED: Schools closed, mandatory evacuations issued amid 1,500-acre wildfire in Brantley County

Bryan knew firsthand how devastating the fireplace had been. Several of his college students lost their properties, together with boys from his baseball staff who spent Tuesday night time at his home.

“It’s just devastating, it’s been a hard day,” he mentioned.

The thought for the group meal got here from Claudia Waldron, a church member and culinary trainer at Brantley County High School. She mentioned the choice to act got here shortly as studies of evacuations poured in.

“As all the messages started rolling in that everything was happening. They were evacuating Atkinson Elementary and Waynesville Primary. I just felt like we needed to do something,” Waldron mentioned. “That’s what our community does. We give back, we help each other.”

Waldron mentioned lots of the college students she teaches had been immediately affected by the fireplace.

“I’m hoping and praying that our students are okay and that some of my kids are okay and they know that we love them and we’re here for them,” she mentioned.

Four evacuation shelters had been accessible for Brantley County residents Tuesday night time, together with the Brantley County Library. The church mentioned it deliberate to take issues at some point at a time and proceed discovering methods to help in the approaching days.

Out of an abundance of warning, Brantley County Schools closed Wednesday.

Brantley County officers will maintain a information convention on Wednesday at midday to give updates on the fireplace’s standing. We will stream the occasion reside.