Check before burning
Georgia Forestry Commission’s website (gatrees.org) has a fire weather forecast and the current fire danger rating you can check before you start a fire. Oglethorpe County is in Region 2.
Two wildfires burned close to 430 acres and prompted urgent responses from volunteer fire departments and forestry agencies in Oglethorpe County on March 20.
A fire on Bull Bray Road, the first incident of the day, started around 1:43 p.m., leading to a response from Salem Volunteer Fire Department, which dispatched three engines and six firefighters to the scene.
“We were restricted in what we could do due to the accessibility to the fire and the size of it,” Salem Chief Justin Sanders said.
Realizing the magnitude of the fire, Salem called in reinforcements from the Georgia Forestry Commission in Lexington, which dispatched bulldozers to contain the flames in dry conditions.
“Me and my crew ended up getting out of there about one o’clock in the morning on Thursday from putting in fire breaks and got about 80-89% contained that day,” Oglethorpe County Chief Ranger Douglas Spieth said.
Spieth said the fire ended up burning about 422 acres of land starting west of Stephens.
“I started walking down and checking the fire and then I realized, no, this is a lot bigger than what I thought it was,” he said.
The official cause of the fire is uncertain and under investigation by the forestry agency.
“We are quite fortunate for the quick response from Georgia Forestry,” said Cody Gibbs, assistant chief of the Beaverdam Volunteer Fire Department. “Both fires on Wednesday could have been a lot worse if not for their help.”
While firefighters battled the fire on Bull Bray Road, another fire broke out on Yancey Road. The response involved multiple departments, including Beaverdam, Devil’s Pond, and Arnoldsville.
Gibbs said the Oglethorpe County forestry team remained at the site of the earlier wildfire, necessitating assistance from Elbert County’s forestry unit.
The blaze originated from a stack of wood and trees left unattended by developers lacking the necessary burn permit, Gibbs said.
“Not only did they have an unpermitted pile or unpermitted fire, they also left the fire unattended which is also against the law,” he added.
That wildfire, estimated to be about 7.98 acres, resulted in property damage, including an older model Ford N-Series tractor and a newer model Bobcat skid-steer being engulfed by the flames.
"We were able to get on scene and cut the fire off at the head, which is where the fire moves with the wind direction,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs said the goal was to protect homes and buildings.
"Our main concern, however, is to protect any exposures, structures, houses and vehicles that may be threatened by the brush fire,” he said.
Officials said both incidents underscored the importance of safety measures and the need for awareness regarding the risks of uncontrolled burning during dry periods.
“There’s a lot of people who are just uneducated about fire weather and when’s the right time to burn or the rules that Georgia Forestry has about burning brush,” Gibbs said. “I think a lot of people are under the assumption that because we’ve gotten so much rain here lately that it’s safe to burn.”
Gibbs urged caution for residents considering outdoor burning activities.
“We recommend that anyone planning to burn, regardless of the size of the fire, check the fire weather forecast and the current fire danger rating for your area before initiating any outdoor burn,” he said. “We have gotten a lot of rain lately; however, that does not necessarily mean that it is safe to burn. Wind, regardless of its strength, is a huge risk when burning outside.”