THOMAS COUNTY, GA — Thomas County leads the state in prescribed burns — and fire officials say that’s exactly why fewer wildfires happen here.
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Thomas County burned more than 70,000 acres last year, more than any other county in Georgia, as part of an extensive prescribed burning program designed to prevent dangerous wildfires.
The smoke visible during morning and evening commutes across South Georgia comes from these controlled burns, which are now in peak season. Fire officials say the practice significantly reduces the risk of uncontrolled wildfires by eliminating excess vegetation that serves as fuel.
"The prescribed fires that are done annually helps with fuel reduction. So a big thing that we see is the flame length in an area that gets routinely burned is a lot smaller and easier to control from our staff and Georgia Forestry than, say, a property that has never been burned," Thomas County Fire Chief Chris Jones said.
Thomas County has large landowners who have been conducting prescribed burns for more than 100 years. Last year alone, more than 4,400 permits were issued for these controlled burns throughout the county.
The Georgia Forestry Commission assists property owners with the burning process and issues permits based on weather conditions.
"Just call your local forestry unit or the county unit, and you can receive a permit that way if the weather permits. The Forestry Commission also does prescribed burning assistance to where you contact the unit, we'll come out and look at the property, advise you on how it needs to be burned," Stephen Spradley from the Georgia Forestry Commission said.
Forestry officials say ideal weather for prescribed burns includes steady winds, sufficient humidity, and recent rainfall. With ongoing drought conditions and reduced rainfall, they recommend burning within a few days after rain when moisture remains in the ground and fire is less likely to spread uncontrollably.
During particularly dry conditions, officials may limit permits to smaller acreage amounts.
"We could potentially limit the permits that we give, limit the acreage that we give permits for. So when the landowner calls, they might not be able to get all 200 acres permitted for the day. It may be just 50 for the day," Spradley said.
Fire officials report the prescribed burning program appears to be effective in reducing wildfire incidents.
"I would say, when you compare our numbers to some of the counties around us going north of us, it seems like our call volume for random grass fires are lower than the counties who burn less prescribed fire acres than we do. And that's been the trend over the years," Jones said.
Fire officials encourage residents to call 911 if they observe something that appears concerning. Emergency crews can quickly verify whether a permit exists or respond immediately if there's an actual emergency.
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