No burn permits due to drought

Extreme drought and winds associated with Hurricane Matthew have increased fire danger in Georgia. As a result, the Georgia Forestry Commission has stopped issuing burn permits for today and is urging everyone to be extremely vigilant as conditions for wildfire escalate.District safety officer Jeff Kenerly said there are only 11 personnel available in the district, with some units showing no availability. ’We have three large fires currently just north of us in Dade county (900 acres), Walker County (500 acres) and in Floyd county (approximately 1,000 acres). We had 11 fires yesterday in the district. A type III team has been ordered for Rome as of yesterday evening. Given all going on in Georgia including lack of rain and low humidity, we are stretched thin and must be diligent to reduce fire potential.’The drought index is 560 to 700 depending on the location in the district. No rain is in the forecast for the next several days.