A wildfire in South Georgia has grown to nearly 9,000 acres and was just 10% contained as of Tuesday morning, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. The Pinelands Road fire was one of 52 that started in just two days, April 18 and 19, as most of Georgia experiences drought conditions. Rainfall and water levels are far below normal across the state, increasing fire risk. While it’s common for fires to start in Georgia forests due to lightning strikes, stray cigarettes, sparks from backyard fires and a number of other causes, officials say this year is different. “Under drought conditions, we have that much less water available either in the water table or in our swamps, ditches, drains, lakes,” said state forester Johnny Sabo. “So the wildfires can spread more rapidly.” A large swath of South Georgia is in an Exceptional Drought, the driest category under the federal drought monitoring system. Much of the rest of the state is in Extreme Drought, the next level down. Local governments are imposing burn bans, asking people not to light any fires outdoors. It’s critical Georgians heed those warnings, Sabo said. “That is our number one cause of wildfires in the state are humans, unfortunately — people being careless,” he said. Beyond the current drought, Georgia’s wildfire risk could too increase in the coming years because of the recent closures of several paper mills. Foresters keep fire risk down by clearing out smaller trees so others can grow tall. But those minor trees are typically turned into paper products. Without the mills to buy them, industry experts worry landowners won’t clear them. “You’ll secure more standing timber or downed timber that’s dead and incredibly flammable,” said Erin Lincoln, director of the Center for Forest Business at UGA. In White County, officials said the Buzzard Mountain fire, which burned for days in the north Georgia mountains, was fully contained as of Monday. Crews remained on site to watch for flare-ups. White County Assistant Fire Chief Seth Weaver said shifting terrain can dramatically change wind conditions and fire behavior, even when it seems calm at ground level. “At the command post, the wind was blowing probably four to five miles an hour,” Weaver said. “But up on the ridge, it was sustained at 25 and gusting to 30, 35 miles an hour.” Weaver said once a wildfire starts, conditions can change quickly. “It seems like when you have a wildfire going, it creates its own weather,” he said. All 159 counties are now in some level of drought, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center. It reported that about two-thirds of the state was in extreme drought or worse. Georgia Forestry Commission officials said statewide drought makes it harder to position resources where they are most needed because fires can ignite anywhere. Wendy Burnett, a spokesperson for the commission, said crews were working long hours and urged residents to take precautions to prevent fires from starting. “We’re working. We’re ready. We’re prepared, and we’re in the trenches. We’re getting it done, but we need the public’s facilitate,” Burnett said.
36