- EMA Lowndes put out an alert Wednesday evening about a prescribed burn on Inner Perimeter and Lester Roads.
- Small wild fires have already broken out in parts of North Florida.
- Watch the video to hear from neighbors who had to navigate the burn.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Several fires have been seen throughout South Georgia this week; if you live in Lowndes County, you've probably seen one too.
"It was so dark. The smoke was very dark."
I'm Malia Thomas, your neighborhood reporter for Valdosta.
While working on a story about debris from Idalia, a neighbor had informed me about a fire that left her concerned.
Now I'm checking in.
You might remember Nancy Griffin; she was one of the first neighbors I spoke with about Hurricane Idalia's damage in the area.
During our follow up conversation, she mentioned seeing another type of debris while driving around 41 and Perimeter: smoke and soot.
"As we got to church, it was really black, instead of clear with debris. We really don't know what they were burning, but everyone at church was like 'Hey, did you see the fire?'"
Nancy tells me hearing about the fires in Thomasville and Jefferson County concerned her about Lowndes County.
"Just makes you wonder what is going on in our world. Natural disasters can come at any time. Are we ready?"
The fire by Inner Perimeter and Lester Roads was not due to weather as Nancy feared; they were a part of a prescribed burn.
I checked in with the Georgia Forestry Commission.
Prescribed burns are set for specific purposes by trained practitioners and are a safe way to:
-apply a natural process
-ensure ecosystem health
-reduce wildfire risks
I also spoke with county information officer Meghan Barwick.
She tells me that the county is urging neighbors use caution during these burns, and they need to, "lower their headlights to low beam, watch their speed, and make sure they're not passing or changing lanes."
While Nancy understands that the prescribed burns are needed, weather conditions still linger in her mind.
"That worries you when it's windy and they do a controlled burn."
Georgia in in the middle of a dry and windy season. Something to think about next time you see fire in the area. In Valdosta, I'm Malia Thomas, ABC27.
