Wildfires burning across parts of Georgia and Florida have destroyed roughly 120 homes and claimed the life of at least one firefighter, authorities confirmed Thursday. The blazes have prompted evacuations in multiple communities as crews struggle to contain the fires amid dry, drought-stressed conditions.

A Florida firefighter died while battling the fires, marking one of the most significant losses of life in the disaster so far. Officials have not released full details on the circumstances of the death. The destruction of homes across Georgia represents one of the more severe wildfire outbreaks in the region in recent memory.

Drought conditions have been cited as a primary driver of the fires' rapid spread, with dry vegetation providing ample fuel across the landscape. Emergency management officials have urged residents in affected areas to heed evacuation orders and monitor local alerts as conditions remained volatile.

Firefighting crews from multiple agencies have been deployed to combat the blazes, though containment efforts have been complicated by wind and the scale of the fires. The full extent of property damage and acreage burned was still being assessed as of Thursday.

State and local officials have not yet issued formal requests for federal disaster declarations, though the scale of the destruction may prompt such steps. Residents displaced by the fires have been directed to emergency shelters established in neighboring communities.