BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. — The risk of wildfires is very high across north Georgia. State forestry officials say the current drought is the worst in nearly a decade.
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Near Pine Log Mountain in Bartow County, on Friday, state forest rangers rolled out a bulldozer because they needed to.
“We’re experiencing one of the worst droughts in north Georgia that we’ve had in almost a decade,” said Seth Hawkins with the Georgia Forestry Commission.
Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz said the drought combined with low humidity and gusty winds combine to create a high fire danger Saturday. A red flag fire warning has been issued.
Channel 2 Action News followed a crew responsible for protecting 450,000 acres of woods across Bartow, Cherokee, and North Fulton counties, all of which are now at risk of burning.
Statewide, 5,000 acres have already burned over the last five days. Officials say there have been more than 350 wildfires.
Humidity is low, winds are high and there has been little to no rain for weeks, a recipe for disaster.
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The message to North Georgia residents is simple: don’t burn leaves, don’t fire up the fire pit, and don’t flick cigarettes.
The Forestry Commission has even stopped its own prescribed burns, which are typically used to help control wildfires.
Bulldozers are being used to dig firebreaks, and brush trucks each carry 500 gallons of water, resources crews may need every drop of unless help comes from above.
“You praying for rain?” Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen asked.
“Praying for rain. Of course. In like a lion, out like a lamb… hopefully we get the lion coming in, with some rain,” Hawkins said.
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