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U.S. Forest Service personnel worked through the night Monday and into Tuesday morning to contain a wildfire that started in the Yahoola Valley area of Lumpkin County. The fire was reported about 2 p.m. Monday and has since burned an estimated 250-300 acres, said U.S. Forest Service Forester Dick Rightmyer with the Gainesville office, who was on the scene at Woody Gap Tuesday afternoon.
"Currently we have about 50 percent containment lines on the south and west side of the fire, and we are working on the north side now," he said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.
Georgia Forestry Commission has two bulldozers on-scene creating firebreaks, a helicopter is dumping water on hot spots, and teams from Redmond, Ore., Redding, Calif. and Missoulia, Mont. are also on scene fighting the blaze.
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, said U.S. Forest Service Assistant Forest Fire Management Officer for the Chattahoochie/Oconee National Forest Mike Davis, but leaf fall and several days of low relative humidity were probably contributing factors, he said.
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"We usually start to see some fire activity this time of year. People need to be cautious in burning debris or any kind of fire use, and be sure to only burn when you have been issued a permit by the Georgia Forestry Commission. They monitor conditions |
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Fire agencies throughout the Central Valley and nearby mountainous agencies on Friday announced that this year’s wildfire season is officially over.
Officials said they will continue to maintain and staff fire protection resources despite the end of fire season. The potential for wildfires still exists with weather patterns.
“Usually by autumn, the threat of extreme fire danger is reduced with cooler temperatures, some precipitation, and higher humidity,” said Brent Skaggs, Sequoia National Forest fire chief, in a statement.
Forest and federal firefighting agencies have laid off some seasonal forces, including helicopters and fire engines. However, officials said they are ready to activate fire crews and equipment to respond to wildfires.
Kern Fire’s helicopter will remain available throughout the year as will at least one hand crew. Agencies will have firefighters busy with projects throughout the winter. |
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A new forecast says an above normal potential for significant wildfires exists this month over most of the area from the Appalachian Mountains to north Alabama and eastern Mississippi.
The National Interagency Fire Center says this is due to drier weather conditions and drier fuels.
But it also predicts the potential for wildfires too large or complicated for local resources alone to decrease to normal levels from December to February.
The agency says blowdown fuels from Hurricane Ike - fuels such as downed trees - could lead to fires that are more frequent and intense and tougher to control northeast of Houston and other areas. |
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