North Georgia is still burning

New fires are continuing to start up in North Georgia, the Georgia Forestry Commission has responded to close to 30 new fires in the last two days.   The cold front is bringing in winds today that will be out of the Northwest at 16 to 20 mph with higher gust. Relative Humidity is expected to be 27 to 30%. These conditions create an environment in which fire officials are expecting to see increased fire spread rates and greater potential for new starts. The GFC and local fire departments are asking that everyone to be very cautious today. Georgia Forestry Commission has a total of 172 resources working the fires in the North GA.

Here is the latest information on the fires as of today, November 19, 2016.

Tatum Gulf –The fire on Tatum Gulf (2336 acres) on Lookout Mountain joined with what was the Cloverdale Fire(500 acres) and is currently 50% containment. The total fire acreage should not increase from the current 2836 acres. Currently there are no evacuations in place. The firebreak on the north end of this fire is of most concern. Crews have been conducting burnout on this line for several days and have this line in much better condition to hold the fire. Burnout was completed yesterday. Mop up and holding activates continue on these lines.

Creek Road –This fire in Dade County is 72 acres with 99% containment. This fire is in a hold and monitor condition.

Irwin Mill Road.–This fire in Gordon County is 107 acres in size with 99% containment. There are five homes in the immediate area, but we do not expect any structure damage. Crews will continue to monitor this fire today. NOTE-The fires listed below are not new starts. They are previous fires that still require activity from our personnel. Each of these fires has to be checked every 3 to 5 days.  Leaves have to be removed from the existing fire breaks to be sure these fires remained contained. Treat Mountain-This fire in Polk County is 558 acres in size with 99% containment. Resources are monitoring this fire and cleaning out existing firebreaks as needed.  There were 2 new starts near this fire today. These fires are 10 acres and 24 acres in size with containment at 90%. The cause is currently under investigation. Today crews will be working on the new starts to be sure that lines hold and mop up will continue.

Brow–This fire in Dade County is 175 acres in size and is 100% contained. Resources are monitoring this fire and cleaning out existing firebreaks as needed.

Fox Mountain-This fire in Dade County is 2083 acres in size and is 100% contained. Resources are monitoring this fire and cleaning out existing firebreaks as needed.

Johnson Mountain-This fire in Bartow County is 149 acres in size and is 100% contained. Resources are monitoring this fire and cleaning out existing firebreaks as needed.

Tower-This fire located in Dade County is 170 acres in size and is 100% contained. Resources are monitoring this fire and cleaning out existing firebreaks as needed.

Rocky Face-This fire in Whitfield County is 590 acres in size and is 100%contained. Resources are monitoring this fire and cleaning out existing firebreaks as needed.

The Rough Ridge Fire being managed by the US Forest Service continues to grow in size and complexity. Georgia Forestry Commission is working with US Forest Service to track the fire’s progress, and identify areas that might be at risk so proactive measures can be taken well in advance.   This fire size is reported at 27,004 acres.