Georgia wildfires prompt state of emergency in south and haze in Atlanta
Atlanta, do you smell that?
The haze you’re seeing and smelling is likely smoke from wildfires raging in northern Florida and southern parts of Georgia, the latter of which triggered Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday afternoon to issue a state of emergency executive order for areas south of metro Atlanta.
Atlanta’s air quality reading hovered at “moderate” levels most of the morning and spiked briefly to an “unhealthy” reading around noon, according to the U.S. Air Quality Index. At that elevated level, some — especially those with respiratory issues, children and older adults — should reduce their exposure and avoid taxing outdoor tasks.
Most of Georgia is under an extreme drought, with parts of South Georgia under an exceptional drought. Such conditions led the Georgia Forestry Commission to sign a burn ban Wednesday for counties below metro Atlanta as crews battle blazes north of Jacksonville and west of Savannah. The state of emergency, which covers the same 91 counties as the burn ban, allowed for the National Guard to be deployed to areas affected by wildfires.
“Our wildfire smoke we’re seeing across the skies in the metro today is actually more so from fires further south than southern Georgia. They are from the Big Bend area of Florida,” National Weather Service meteorologist Katie Martin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Big Bend is the part of the Florida Panhandle that transitions to the peninsula.
Large wildfires in South Georgia’s Brantley and Clinch counties are also to blame, according to the Weather Service.
Haze and the smoky smell are expected through at least Friday in metro Atlanta.
Impacts to air quality
A hazy sky blanketed Inman Park. At a doughnut shop in the area, some customers debated sitting outside.
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, smoke limited visibility for travelers looking out the windows as they walked through the terminals.
Around noon, the air quality across parts of Middle Georgia and metro Atlanta appeared worse than other areas, but levels can dip and soar as the day goes on. Most of Georgia has at least moderate air quality, though. The main pollutant appears to come from combustion and wildfires.
That concentration of smoke can impact sensitive populations, Martin said. When air quality bumps up to moderate or unhealthy readings, those people should consider wearing a mask or simply limiting time outside.
The haze is not expected to last throughout the whole day. The atmosphere is typically more stable overnight and in the mornings before temperatures begin to rise.
Things turn a little more chaotic after temperatures warm up and the atmosphere begins to mix and turn in the afternoons, which means the haze begins to move and dissipate. Afternoons are generally when we get the best visibility and sky conditions, Martin said.
But, of course, it also depends on how intense the wildfires get. If fires are aggressively raging, smoke could still be visible during the afternoon even when the atmosphere is turning over, which could impact air quality.
Wildfires in South Georgia
According to the state’s forestry commission, more than 20,000 acres have burned within the last seven days.
A wildfire that began Monday in rural Brantley has grown to 5,000 acres and destroyed 47 homes. Kemp told reporters Wednesday that officials believe it started after a balloon landed on a power line.
The blaze shrouded Brunswick, which is 30 miles away from the fire, in smoke and haze Tuesday, with reports of less than 100 feet of visibility in some locales.
The fire was considered 75% contained at one point Tuesday, before shifting winds pushed the blaze in a new direction. Joey Cason, county chief administrator, noted the fire grew from 700 acres to more than 4,000 within hours of the wind change. He said the rapid spread resulted in emergency crews rescuing residents from their homes’ front porches as the flames approached.
In Clinch, a fire is impacting more than 16,000 acres, and only about 10% of it has been contained, the forestry commission reported. Officials believe it began Saturday by “someone who was doing some welding,” Kemp said, and the fire has impacted woodlands, swamps and bays.
Thomas Holloway described the feeling in Clinch as “weird and eerie” as smoke cloaked the community. Holloway, pastor at Free Will Baptist Church in Homerville and a school bus driver, has helped lead efforts to collect supplies for firefighters and has also guided groups praying for rain.
“(The wildfire is) just sitting out there, and you’re wondering if it’s coming or not or if it’s going to go somewhere else,” Holloway said. “At the same time, you’re worried about everybody else that’s in the path, worried about your friends and your church family.”
The state of emergency, which covers both counties and others, allows the state to mobilize the National Guard and provide other resources. A spokesperson for Kemp’s office said in a news release that air assets and National Guard troops were already being deployed.
Intense drought conditions
Georgia’s drought continues to worsen. And the Weather Service said most of the state is under high fire danger conditions, meaning any fire that develops could spread quickly.
With more than 90% of the state under drought conditions, the NWS said this is the largest drought coverage in nearly 20 years.
“We need everyone to take this situation seriously,” Johnny Sabo, director of the Georgia Forestry Commission, said in a news release. “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.”
The active burn ban, said to be necessary to “preserve life and property because of unusually hazardous conditions,” will expire May 22. It’s active for areas south of metro Atlanta, running from Harris to Columbia counties and to the Florida state line.
This is the first time in the state’s history the forestry commission has ordered a burn ban, Kemp said.
Henry County decided late Wednesday afternoon to also issue a 30-day burn ban. The metro area county is not included in the Forestry Commission’s ban.
Without meaningful rain expected in the coming months, dry conditions will continue through the summer.
Rain is anticipated Saturday, though it’s not guaranteed all of Georgia will see it before the end of April. And an extended period of rain is needed to put a dent in the drought, the Weather Service said.
— Staff writers Adam Van Brimmer in Savannah, Fletcher Page in Athens and Cassidy Alexander contributed to this report.
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