Nearly all of Georgia is under some form of fire weather alert today, with three areas under the most serious warning level and conditions expected to last into the evening.
What’s happening: Three separate Red Flag Warnings — the highest level of fire weather alert — are in effect across southeast, central, and southwest Georgia through 8 p.m.
A Red Flag Warning means a combination of strong winds, low humidity, and warm temperatures has created conditions where fires can start easily, spread fast, and become hard to stop. Dozens of additional counties across north, central, and west Georgia are under Special Weather Statements warning of elevated fire danger.
Where the warnings apply:
- Southeast Georgia Red Flag Warning: Coffee, Jeff Davis, Bacon, and Appling counties, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Central Georgia Red Flag Warning: Crisp, Wilcox, Dodge, Telfair, Wheeler, Montgomery, Toombs, Emanuel, Treutlen, Laurens, Pulaski, Dooly, Houston, Bleckley, Johnson, Jefferson, Twiggs, Wilkinson, Washington, Glascock, and Warren counties, from noon to 8 p.m.
- Southwest Georgia Red Flag Warning: Dougherty, Lee, Worth, Turner, Tift, Ben Hill, and Irwin counties, from noon to 8 p.m.
The conditions: Humidity is dropping to 25 percent or lower across most of the state this afternoon. Wind gusts range from 20 mph in some areas to 35 mph in parts of southwest Georgia. Temperatures are reaching the low-to-mid 70s. Forecasters say fuels — meaning dry grass, brush, and other material that can catch fire — are extremely dry.
What’s important: In Red Flag Warning areas, any fire that starts is likely to spread rapidly and may be difficult for firefighters to control. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged in those areas. Residents in all affected areas are told to check with their local burn permitting office before starting any outdoor fire.
Coastal counties: Coastal Glynn and Coastal Camden counties are under a Wind Advisory through midnight. Winds of 20 to 25 mph with gusts around 40 mph are expected. Tree limbs may come down and some power outages are possible. Tall vehicles such as trucks, vans, and RVs may have difficulty on the road.
How this affects real people: Anyone planning to burn yard debris, brush, or other material outdoors today should stop and check with local authorities first. In Red Flag Warning counties, outdoor burning is not recommended at all.
The path forward: Most alerts expire at 8 p.m., with the coastal wind advisory running until midnight. Conditions are expected to ease after a cold front moves through tonight.
From The Book
“If we’re judging manliness by one’s ability to start fires, pump iron or operate heavy machinery, I will willingly give up my man card.“
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.
