Twin fire swept through Southeast Georgia, scorching 600,000 acres near Waycross. The Georgia fires started "...when a tree struck a power line on Sweat Farm Road near Waycross" according to Forest Service spokesman John Calabrese. The second fire was started on May 5 by a lightning strike in Florida.

Throughout May firefighters struggled to bring the fires under control while major cities like Atlanta, Savannah, Jacksonville and Orlando battled smoke from the blazes. Drought conditions contributed heavily to the firefighters inability to put the fires out.

Tropical storm Barry, the second named storm of the 2007 Hurricane season gave the men a much needed break. While the storm did not douse the major sections still burning, it put out thousands of smaller sections, freeing many firefighters to work on the major fires.

The fires were the worst in Georgia and Florida history.