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#BurnAlerts

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Forest Service
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

Web: www.fs.usda.gov/CONF
Twitter: @ChattOconeeNF
Facebook: @ChattOconeeNF

#BurnAlerts

BurnAlerts

U.S. Forest Service #BurnAlerts

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

#BurnAlerts – #BurnAlerts – 1,040 acre #GoodFire on the Oconee RD ~6 miles NW of Eatonton, GA in Putnam County off GA Hwy 300 near the Mt. Gilead area. The Georgia Forestry Commission is assisting with the #prescribedfire to reduce hazardous fuels & improve wildlife habitat.

Contact the Oconee Ranger District at 706-485-7110.

If weather conditions on-site change or become unfavorable, the controlled burn is subject to being cancelled.

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Professional foresters and other land managers use prescribed fire to safely mimic these natural forces, carefully applying controlled burning under specific weather conditions to enhance reforestation, aesthetics and forest access. If weather conditions on-site change or become unfavorable, the controlled burns are subject to being cancelled.

Approximately 35,000 acres across the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests may be treated with prescribed fire from early February through mid-April. The Forest Service goal is to safely apply low-intensity controlled burns to reduce the duff layer common in thick overgrown unmanaged forest areas that choke out sunlight from native grasses, wildflowers and desired tree seedlings. This goal on the national forest is also a land management priority identified by State of Georgia agencies.
Fire is as natural as sunshine, rain, and wind in many plant communities of the forest that depend upon it. Long ago before western settlement, frequent low-intensity fires would have burned across the forests of Georgia, shaping forest plant communities. Prescribed fire promotes forest health by reducing competition from undesired vegetation, reduces the spread of forest pests and diseases, while improving recreational access and restoring forest habitat. No matter which objective is desired to benefit the forest, periodic prescribed fire prevents the buildup of leaf-litter, dead plants and trees that can lead to devastating wildfires.
Watch Wildlife Resources Division – Georgia DNR video about the importance and benefits of prescribed fire for managing wildlife habitat: https://youtu.be/pYWHS6cCu5w
When conditions are just right, fire managers begin the prescribed fire treatments essential to improving wildlife habitat and maintaining a healthy forest. Every year, fire managers successfully treat around 35,000 acres on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests through prescribed fire. Learn more: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/RxFire
Sign up or follow us on social media to receive #BurnAlerts notifications when a prescribed fire will occur in your area. The following methods are available to you, which are updated to provide official public notification of prescribed fire activities.
Email: Sign up for #BurnAlerts at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/CONFemails
Facebook: @ChattOconeeNF
Twitter: @ChattOconeeNF
Text messages: text ‘follow chattoconeenf’ to 40404 on your mobile phone to receive Tweets by Text

District Office Contacts:

Oconee 706-485-7110

Conasauga 706-695-6736

Blue Ridge 706-745-6928

Chattooga River 706-754-6221

CONF District Map

Be advised that smoke from prescribed fire may cross state boundaries. Find #BurnAlerts for the Cherokee National Forest, the National Forests in North Carolina, the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, and the National Forests in Alabama on their websites.

Find websites for other national forests in the Southern Region.

Alabama
​Cherokee (TN)
Florida
Francis Marion-Sumter (SC)
North Carolina

 

About the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests provide the finest outdoor recreation opportunities and natural resources in Georgia. Featuring nearly 867,000 acres across 26 counties, thousands of miles of clear-running streams and rivers, approximately 850 miles of recreation trails, and dozens of campgrounds, picnic areas, and other recreation activity opportunities, these lands are rich in natural scenery, history and culture. The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

To receive instant alerts and updates on forest information, follow @ChattOconeeNF on Twitter and Facebook or visit us on the web at www.fs.usda.gov/conf.

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