This story was originally published by Inside Climate News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Drought and fire are a dangerous duo. The Southeastern United States is witnessing this firsthand, as several major blazes have burned tens of thousands of acres across the parched region, destroying homes and prompting evacuations in some areas. Florida and Georgia have been particularly hard hit, and strong winds and unusually low humidity have made it difficult to combat the flames. With much of the Southeast in a long-standing drought since July 2025 , dried-out vegetation has provided ample fuel for wildfires to spread the minute they spark. That can even be something as small as a balloon hitting a power line , which is likely what ignited one of the largest fires that tore through Georgia late last month, officials said. Typically, forest managers ignite planned, controlled fires — known as prescribed burns — earlier in the season to clear this brittle brush.…