ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp is touring South Georgia on Friday to continue surveying damage from wildfires that have burned more than 38,000 acres, destroyed dozens of homes, and are threatening more than 1,000 others.

One of the two major wildfires is burning west of St. Simons Island in Brantley County, where officials say crews are working around the clock.

Gov. Kemp says they are currently biggest burning fires in the U.S. He adds the fires were sparked by a balloon that landed on a powerline.

“We believe it was started by a balloon landing on a powerline causing an arc that created the fires,” Gov. Kemp said.

“We’ve looked at all the records going back historically with the state. We believe that these two fires have created the most lost homes ever in the history of our state,” Gov. Kemp said.

County Manager Joey Cason described the response as “all hands on deck.”

“Six brush engines, we’ve got 35 personnel or more with Georgia Forestry, we’ve got 25 firetrucks, 12 tank tenders, and 10 brush trucks on scene,” Cason said.

Cason added that conditions remain unpredictable as winds shift.

“The fire has intensified, it’s moving west, northwest right now; but that wind has just shifted… and it could move more northerly,” he said.

On Wednesday, Gov. Kemp declared a state of emergency for much of south Georgia, where fires have already destroyed dozens of homes and put hundreds more at risk.

Blair Joiner with the Georgia Forestry Commission said crews are dealing with difficult conditions as the fires grow.

“Fires are continuing to grow right now to the north, it’s still showing 15% contained,” Joiner said.

He added that the region is experiencing “exceptional drought conditions” with low humidity and high fire danger indicators.

Meanwhile, the dry conditions are prompting burn bans across parts of metro Atlanta. Cobb, Henry, Bartow, Cherokee, and Clayton counties all have restrictions in place, though the rules vary.

In Cobb County, officials say all outdoor burning is prohibited, but backyard grills are still allowed.

Henry County has stricter rules, banning charcoal grills and all outdoor open-flame cooking.

Cherokee County officials say the ban applies to all outdoor burning, including yard debris and land clearing.

All burn bans are in effect until further notice, except in Clayton County, where the ban is set to end May 22 before transitioning into the normal summer burn ban.

Officials say the smoky air seen in metro Atlanta in recent days is tied to the South Georgia wildfires, as winds continue to push smoke north.