ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - As most of South Georgia remains under severe drought conditions, the Georgia Forestry Commission wants to remind landowners about the importance of obtaining burn permits prior to setting controlled burns.

“As most everybody’s aware of it, we haven’t had significant rainfall in quite some time,” said Mark Madray, Georgia Forestry Commission’s Region 3 Manager whose territory covers many South Georgia counties. “So we are seeing, you know, wildfire activity increase, the acreages increase, and the fire activity itself increase, becoming more, kind of more volatile.”

Most areas in the South Georgia region continue to be under extreme, if not exceptional, drought monitor classifications. This means that a planned controlled burn can turn into a wildfire if started at the wrong time.

That’s where the Georgia Forestry Commission helps protect the public through issuing burning permits.

Georgia law requires landowners to call Georgia Forestry to obtain a burn permit prior to starting a controlled burn.

Madray said the drought conditions have not prevented Georgia Forestry from issuing burn permits, but some days weather and atmospheric conditions force them to limit the amount of permits issued.

But Madray stressed the agency does not make such decisions lightly and always evaluates the current weather conditions and how they scientifically impact burning before permits are issued or denied.

“We, as a state agency, support and enthusiastically support prescribed burning. We think there’s a lot of benefit to it. You know, we want the landowners to exercise that right,” Madray said. “But we do ask that they exercise it with caution, and in doing so, you know, looking at burn permits, checking the weather, getting the burn permit, checking with their local county and city ordinances and just kind of being abreast of the law.”

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Georgians are not legally required to obtain burn permits to set fire to hand-piled trash debris. However, Madray said if city or county ordinances currently prohibit fires, then residents must adhere to the local law.

In addition with the burn permit process, Georgia Forestry also evaluates the chances of smoke lingering over areas, potentially blocking visibility on highways, which can be dangerous or even deadly for drivers. Therefore, how weather would impact smoke volumes also guides the agency’s burn permit issuing process.

To learn more about the best practices of prescribed burning, visit the Georgia Forestry website.

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