Two more metro Atlanta counties came under outdoor burn bans Tuesday, and a North Georgia wildfire burned on as the state’s fire situation continued.
The fire on Rocky Face Mountain in Whitfield County could continue into next week, the Dalton Daily Citizen reported. Georgia Forestry Commission crews said more than 200 acres have been "blackened or are actively on fire" since the fire began Thursday.
Crews have been hampered by the rugged nature of the terrain.
“It is a very labor-intensive fire,” GFC ranger Pat Stockett told the Daily Citizen. “Our hand crews at times are having to hike an hour or an hour and a half in just to get to the fire. The terrain is posing a very unique obstacle, and bulldozers don’t like rocks. Our operators are doing exceptional work. This is a very technical operation.”
There have been seven new fires since midnight, GFC spokeswoman Wendy Burnett said. Fire crews are active from Cherokee County north to the state line.
The ongoing drought conditions are a factor everywhere.
The GFC has included Gwinnett County in a temporary suspension of all outdoor burning, according to the Gwinnett County Fire Marshal website.
“Outdoor burning will resume once conditions are within an acceptable range and the suspension has been lifted by the Georgia Forestry Commission,” the website said.
On Tuesday, Henry County joined the list of metro Atlanta counties with self-imposed burn bans, along with Paulding County, Cobb County and Douglas County.
Significant rain is not in the near-term forecast for North Georgia.
“Mother Nature is not looking too good as a helper,” Stockett said. “She got tired from Hurricane Matthew.”
