Brush fires burning early
A combination of factors could lead to Polk County having a higher level of risk during the coming spring and summer fire seasons as brush fires continue to plague the county following the 2016 drought.
Winter rains helped bring the water table back up for local farmers some during the past months, but if forecast models hold and spring turns unseasonably warm and dry for this year, Polk, Paulding and Cobb counties Georgia Forestry Chief Ranger Tracy Mobley be- lieves the area could be in for trouble.
His concerns are that with pine trees having suffered during the recent drought, areas infested with the ips bark beetle in those trees are already under stress, plus forecasts calling for warm and dry conditions during the spring and summer, it could add up to a difficult time for forestry officials and local firefighters battling brush fires.
Currently fire dangers are also increasing in Polk County due to the death of plants budding and putting out leaves early prior to the cold snap in the middle of the month. Now all that undergrowth is dry and dead making for a potential tinderbox early in the spring, Mobley said.
“A lot of little issues that added up could create a major issue,” he said.
Already officials are having trouble with brush fires locally. On March 21, officials were out on McCowan Road off of Highway 278 battling a brush fire that was contained without any issue, but took up several hours of time and fire department resources.
Polk County Emergency Management Director Randy Lacey, who is also in charge of the Fire Department, said that since the beginning of the year his volunteer firefighters have already re- sponded to 15 brush fires.
“Every three days or so we’re seeing fires,” he said. “Once it stops raining, and the sun comes out and the wind starts blowing, everything is drying out again and causing problems.”
He said areas of Treat Mountain have continued to be particularly susceptible to fires as well during the early months of the year.
Already local forestry rangers have had to help out with larger fires around the state as well, Mobley said, as several were sent to south Georgia in recent weeks to help control and put out a 700 acre fire.