It may seem that summer’s heat would bring forest fires, but dry fall leaves are actually more dangerous.
“Wildfires are very dangerous,” Gilmer County Emergency Management (GCEM) Director Aaron Freeman said. “They can overwhelm you very quickly.”
In this season, low humidity means there can be high fire risk even a couple days after rain. Low humidity in spring poses similar risks.
Winter and summer are comparatively safer. Cold can quell fires. Summer humidity makes them hard to start.
These weather conditions mean it’s important to be careful with fire during this time of year.
“The humidity drops really low, and that, coupled with the wind which dries out fuel, creates dangerous fire conditions for rapid spread,” Freeman said.
Before burning leaves, you should check the weather and make sure there aren’t conditions that could present fire danger.
Even if a controllable bonfire may not seem like a big deal, it can quickly go out of control.
Sometimes, it can catch dry leaves nearby. Other times, embers from the fire can float on the wind for miles before igniting fires elsewhere.
“An ember can travel miles and miles away,” Freeman said.
Once it has caught, a fire can spread very quickly, he said. It can take just 10 minutes for a blaze to go from minor to extremely difficult to control.
A house fire is usually contained, but a forest fire can spread for vast distances, Freeman said.
It’s best to avoid burning leaves outside during fall and spring, he said. Burning trash is illegal.
If you must burn leaves during this time of year, it’s best to burn then in small fires rather than large bonfires.
And when GCEM sends out a burn risk alert, you shouldn’t burn leaves at all.
For those who wish to know more, Georgiatrees.org offers rules and guidelines for fires.
In recent times, Gilmer has avoided major forest fires, Freeman said.
This fact is because local people have been careful during dangerous times of the year.
“Education and people paying attention to their surroundings and conditions is a huge thing,” Freeman said.
If you see a forest fire, you should call 911. It’s better to call and be mistaken than to not call and miss the chance to stop a disaster.
“You should always call 911 to have them check it out, whether you are for sure or in doubt,” Freeman said.