Fires that spread during drought in Georgia and Florida have blanketed cities hundreds of miles away in smoke

• Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox

Wildfires tearing through the south have forced hundreds of Georgia residents to flee in minutes, leaving them distraught about the homes and animals they left behind.

The fires that spread this week during an extreme drought in Georgia and Florida have blanketed cities hundreds of miles away in smoke, leading to more air quality warnings on Thursday across the south-east.