ATLANTA — Rain moving into Georgia this week is expected to bring some relief as drought conditions continue across the state.
University of Georgia agricultural climatologist Pam Knox says even small amounts of rain can help reduce fire danger.
“Any kind of rain is going to help suppress the fires to a certain extent because it moisten up the available fuel and of course that makes it harder to burn, and so even a small amount will help somewhat,” Knox said.
However, Knox says the state needs a long period of consistent rainfall to make significant progress.
“I don’t see that coming anytime soon,” she said.
The rain comes just a day after the Georgia Environmental Protection Division issued a Level 1 drought designation for the entire state. The first of three levels, it is the least restrictive and does not limit outdoor water use, but requires public water systems to promote conservation awareness.
In response, the Fayette County Water System is asking customers to voluntarily limit outdoor irrigation to two days a week using an odd/even schedule. Even-numbered addresses should water on Wednesdays and Saturdays, while odd-numbered addresses should water on Thursdays and Sundays.
South Georgia continues to face significant wildfire activity, with more than 50,000 acres burned across Clinch County and Brantley County. Smoke from those fires was visible in metro Atlanta last week.
Knox says the drought conditions have made it easier for fires to start and spread.
“There’s lots of opportunities for sparks to get out and start a fire, and with everything as dry as it has been there’s a lot of possibilities there,” she said.
She added that while rain in the coming weeks could help reduce fire danger, it will not erase the drought.
“I certainly think the drought situation is pretty dire across most of the state,” Knox said.
The United States Department of Agriculture has designated 146 of Georgia’s 159 counties as disaster areas, making agricultural workers eligible for emergency federal loan assistance.