AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A 16,000-arce wildfire in south Georgia has pushed heavy smoke into the CSRA.
Aiken County dispatchers have received many calls about the smoke in the Aiken area.
Some Aiken County schools are also affected. Some school leaders have called for indoor recess as the smoke thickens.
Massive wildfire pushes smoke to CSRA(WRDW)
The Clinch County Fire Department in Georgia has burned more than 16,000 acres and remains only 10% contained.
While the fire is several hundred miles away, atmospheric conditions are slowly carrying smoke northward into the area through Friday.
The fire started just before 5 p.m. Saturday.
Scott Griffin, president and CEO of Superior Pine Products Co., said the fire is creating conditions rarely seen in his more than 40 years fighting wildfires.
Griffin said fires of this size can create their own weather and wind patterns, making containment extremely difficult. The fire is jumping fire lanes and spotting, he said, with firefighters working around the clock to control it.
The fire has been spotting ahead of the main fire line, creating new fires that require additional fire breaks. The blaze has crossed toward the Suwannochee River near the Clinch and Echols County line.
Steven Spradley, a liaison and information officer with the Georgia Forestry Incident Management Team, said firefighters have been on the fire 24 hours a day since it began this weekend. The last few nights have brought extreme fire behavior similar to daytime conditions, he said.
Georgia burn ban
On Wednesday, Georgia’s State Forester issued a ban on outdoor burning for 91 counties in the lower half of the state.
We need everyone to take this situation seriously,” said Georgia State Forester and Georgia Forestry Commission Director Johnny Sabo. “GFC’s wildland firefighters are responding daily to a near-record number of wildfires. It’s critical to remember that just one spark or ember can ignite a life-threatening wildfire.”
Locally, Burke, Columbia, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Warren and Washington counties are listed within the ban.
Officials say 98% of Georgia’s total land area is currently in moderate to exceptional drought conditions. The number of wildfires statewide in April has also now risen above Georgia’s five-year average.
Officials say the chance of rain is unlikely for most of the affected area in the coming days. GFA officials say they will continue to work closely with local responders to combat any wildfires and address the ongoing drought.
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