Nearly 50 Georgia counties are under fire danger alerts today as dry air and parched vegetation create conditions where outdoor fires can spread fast.
What’s Happening: Two Special Weather Statements are active across a wide stretch of north and metro Georgia. Relative humidity, a measure of moisture in the air, is expected to drop to 25% or below for at least four hours this afternoon and into the evening. Dry vegetation on the ground means a fire that starts can move quickly.
What’s Important: The larger alert covers 43 counties running from the Tennessee state line south through metro Atlanta, including Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Fulton, Cherokee, and Hall. A separate alert covers six northeast Georgia counties: Rabun, Habersham, Stephens, Franklin, Hart, and Elbert. That area has seen little rain in recent days, leaving vegetation especially dry.
How This Affects Real People: Anyone planning to burn yard debris or other materials outside today should contact their local government first to find out whether a burn permit is required or whether burning is currently allowed. Authorities warn fires can get out of hand quickly under today’s conditions.
The Path Forward: The larger alert expires at 8 p.m. The northeast Georgia alert expires at 12:30 p.m. Winds are expected at 3 to 6 mph out of the east to southeast, light but enough to push a fire through dry grass or brush.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
