Forestry Officials Urging People to Avoid Outdoor Burning

With no end in sight to the extreme drought gripping the South, forestry officials are urging people to avoid the temptation to do any sort of outdoor burning, including those you might normally do over the holidays.
Georgia forestry commission wildlife preservation specialist Mark Wile, says many of the forest fires have one thing in common.
“The majority of the fires that we’re fighting right now, the majority of the fires that our firefighters are risking their lives for were caused by humans so they could have all been prevented.”
Keith Moss is also with the Georgia Forestry Commission, Moss says conditions are very bad right now and it doesn’t take much to start a fire at a home or in the woods.
“Any little spark can cause a fire, such things as someone flipping a cigarette out, going down the road. Someone dragging a chain down the road causing a spark, burning on the side of the road, someone pulling over on the side of the road or even in the woods, their catalytic converter or exhaust causing fires. Four-wheelers in the woods.”
For that reason Moss and Wiles are urging people to avoid outdoor grilling or frying that Thanksgiving turkey in the back yard because one spark the hot grill or hot peanut oil could start nearby trees or shrubs on fire.
“The Georgia Forestry Commission is not issuing any permits for burning, so that means that if you do take it upon yourself to do some outdoor burning, and your fire get out of control, then you are going to be one hundred percent responsible, and you would have to pay to have that fire suppressed, which could be very expensive.”
Another concern is outdoor lighting such as Christmas lights and lighted Christmas displays. Wiles goes on to say that people should always be taking steps to protect their home against fire especially in the winter.
“Certainly getting rid of the leaves in your yard as they fall is a good idea. Maybe taking a rake or a leaf blower and raking them at least thirty feet from the foundation of the structure. If you have any leaves on the top of the house you need to remove those. If you have leaves in your gutter, you need to get those out. Embers drift up to one mile in advance of a fire. All they got to do is land on a single leaf, wherever it may be and it will start another fire.”
And if you plan to head up into the mountains for the holidays Wiles urges people to be careful as the smoke from the fires in north Georgia, upstate South Carolina, and Western North Carolina continue to affect our area. He says people need to use caution while driving especially in the smoke when it’s heavy.