A 600-acre controlled burn at Mistletoe State Park is sending a visible cloud of smoke across Columbia County, fire officials say. There is no fire in the county.
What’s Happening: Columbia County Fire Rescue says the smoke residents are seeing and smelling is coming from a planned burn at Mistletoe State Park, not from an emergency. The burn covers 600 acres.
What’s Important: A controlled burn, sometimes called a prescribed burn, is a planned fire set intentionally to manage land. Forest managers use them to clear dead vegetation, reduce the risk of larger wildfires, and improve habitat for wildlife. They are legal and supervised.
How This Affects Real People: People in Columbia County may see or smell smoke but do not need to call 911 or take any emergency action. The smoke is expected and not a sign of danger in the county.
B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
