ST. GEORGE, Ga. – Driving through St. George in Georgia, you’ll notice many people still in their homes.
All of south Charlton County is under mandatory evacuation due to the West Mims Fire, but residents say it’s easier said than done.
Even after an extra 7,000 acres caught on fire Monday, just miles down the road, they still aren’t budging.
Many say they have no plans to leave anytime soon, and cite financial reasons.
“It’s hard. It’s very hard,” says Leila Kirkland.
An entire mobile home and several pets are all the things Kirkland lost two years ago from a house fire, and never plans to lose again.
Her family of nine knows about the evacuation, but decided to stay.
They say there’s a well for water, a garden for food, and they’ve packed an RV full of everything valuable to them, just in case.
“We lost everything, everything we had, ” says Kirkland. “Old pictures that can’t be replaced. We got everything we have left loaded up. We won’t be leaving it.”
Even with burned debris falling into the garden, they’re still hopeful it will stop before it gets any worse.
Jeffie Booth lives just down the road and also hasn’t evacuated.
She says her reason, and many of her neighbors, are related to health.
Her father-in-law is a 91-year-old disabled veteran.
She says to move him will be mentally and physically challenging, so they’re staying until the last minute possible.
“Due to his condition, all the equipment we have to take with him, and how he’s so adjusted to his surroundings, we don’t want to take him unless we just have to because he will definitely not be happy,” says Booth.
Saturday, a Red Cross shelter opened in Kingsland for St. George evacuees, but volunteers say no one has stopped in yet.
For families who have evacuated, there’s still no word yet on when it will be safe to return.
