Many weather factors can dictate the risk, intensity and spread of wildfires. They include wind, relative humidity and fuel moisture. Temperature and drought levels also play a role, and all of these conditions can also impact efforts to fight and contain wildfires. GFC has tools to provide important information and updates on wildfire conditions and activity across the state.
Monitor Wildfire Conditions
The GFC Fire Weather System provides area fire weather forecasts. The state is divided into ten forecast areas to provide the most accurate local information.
View Fire Weather ForecastsV Smoke
In addition to standard weather conditions, it is equally as important to plan for smoke dispersion on prescribed fires. VSmoke-Web is a web-based implementation of VSmoke (Lavdas, 1996) and is designed to assist with planning prescribed burns in the Southern United States. VSmoke is a simple gaussian smoke dispersion model that calculates isopleths of surface smoke concentration.
Estimate Prescribed Fire Smoke ImpactsTrack Georgia’s Wildfire, Prescribed Fire and Smoke Activity around the State
GFC’s Georgia Wildfire Public Viewer provides an interactive map that pinpoints wildfire activity, current prescribed fires with type and size, current PM 2.5 monitor readings, NOAA HMS smoke detection, smoke forecast, and wind direction throughout the state. This tool is directly linked to GFC’s wildfire computer-aided dispatch system and software called FiResponse.
Open the Georgia Wildfire Public ViewerYou can also monitor air quality via the EPA’s website.
Burn Permits and Notifications
Some outdoor burning requires a burn permit and/or notification. NOTE: Burning Permits are good only for the day they are issued.
LEARN MOREFor more information about obtaining burn permits, contact your local GFC office more information.