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Thank you for your interest in #BurnAlerts for the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. We have new information to share:

We have the right weather to conduct safe controlled burns with good smoke dispersion.



Today the Blue Ridge Ranger District will be conducting prescribed fire operations to improve wildlife habitat, enhance forest health and remove hazardous fuels such as leaf litter, dead vegetation, and debris. The 73-acre Lake Blue Ridge unit is located approximately 3 miles SE of Blue Ridge, Ga. in Fannin County.

Map: https://arcg.is/1m9rmP

The burn is expected to start around 10:30 and last until approximately 3 p.m. Motorists are advised to use caution along Highway 515 and Dry Branch Road.

Learn more: Prescribed fire science: Why it’s needed now more than ever

Find more info about how the Forest Service in Georgia manages the land with prescribed fire and discover ways to stay in-the-know with all our planned burn projects at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/conf/fire.

Fire plays an important role in the health of forest ecosystems by helping recycle nutrients back to the soil and promoting the growth of trees and other plants. Burned forests provide habitat for many wildlife species, including several birds and amphibians. Professional wildland managers use prescribed fire, or “GoodFire,” to enhance wildlife habitat and improve the health of the forest landscape. Read more: Frequently Asked Questions about prescribed fire in Georgia.

When favorable weather conditions exist, fire managers may apply controlled prescribed fire to restore approximately 35,000 acres on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in October through December, and from early February through May.

Carefully planned and controlled prescribed fire during the spring growing season can provide ideal habitat conditions for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, bobwhite quail, wild turkey and other wildlife.

After many years of fire exclusion, an ecosystem that needs periodic fire becomes unhealthy. Trees are stressed by overcrowding; fire-dependent species disappear; and flammable fuels build up and become hazardous. However, the right fire at the right place at the right time helps maintain healthy forests, communities and watersheds. Learn more.

✉ Sign up for #BurnAlerts at www.fs.usda.gov/conf

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Office locations:



Chatsworth 706-695-6736

Blairsville 706-745-6928

Lakemont 706-754-6221

Eatonton 706-485-7110

Gainesville 770-297-3000