Georgia Mom Loses Home, Family-Owned Wedding Chapel in Devastating Brantley County Fire
When Ginger Hunter saw flames closing in behind the wedding chapel on her Brantley County property, she knew she had only moments.
She couldn’t save the chapel. She couldn’t save her home. And she couldn’t save the wedding dresses — hers, her mother’s and her daughter’s — keepsakes that had been carried through three generations of her family.
“We lost my wedding dress, my mom’s wedding dress, my daughter’s wedding dress,” Hunter told News4JAX. “My son is a senior in high school. His prom is Saturday. My mom was able to buy him an outfit. He lost his vehicle.”
One Brantley County family now faces starting completely over after the Highway 82 Fire took their home, businesses, vehicles and memories.
The fire was first discovered on April 20 and continues to burn as of Wednesday, April 23. Roughly 5,000 acres have been affected and 54 structures destroyed. Around 1,000 homes remain threatened. The fire is only 15% contained.
No deaths have been reported, but that doesn’t mean lives haven’t been affected.
“I will be very honest with you,” Brantley County Manager Joey Cason said, per News4JAX. “It’s a miracle that we have not had any lives lost.”
But for Hunter, a single mother with no homeowner’s insurance, the fire consumed nearly everything her family had.
A Family Forced to Start From Nothing
Her home is gone. So are her businesses, including a local wedding chapel that was completely destroyed by the fire. The property also consisted of a large reception hall, a bridal suite and a dress shop run by her daughter. The family’s vehicles were destroyed too.
“We have to start with a home for my family. I had no insurance on my house. I’m a single mom doing the best I can,” Hunter told News4JAX. “Once we’re not homeless, we’ll start on the businesses.”
“We saw the flames behind the chapel and knew we only had moments,” she told the outlet.
One clip of the fire, shared by Raigan Bullard, shows just how large the flames were and how poor the air quality was in the area. At the end of the clip, viewers will see a puff of black smoke. According to Hunter, that puff of black smoke was her house going up in flames.
Her son, a high school senior, lost his vehicle just days before his Saturday prom. Hunter’s mother stepped in to buy him an outfit so he could still attend.
Several of Hunter’s loved ones have been displaced. Multiple pets are unaccounted for.
“My mind still can’t comprehend how in one moment life is happening, and instantly life looks different,” she added.
Despite the losses and ongoing uncertainty, Hunter finds comfort in the fact her family made it out alive.
Gov. Brian Kemp declared a State of Emergency covering 91 counties in the lower portion of Georgia. The Georgia National Guard, air resources and Guardsmen have been deployed.
The southern half of the state is under a 30-day burn ban — a first in the Georgia Forestry Commission’s history.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
