The National Weather Service issued an alert that warns of high fire danger in Cobb County and other Georgia counties for the afternoon of Monday, April 10, 2023.
What is in the statement?
The statement gives the following details:
…HIGH FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING
FOR PARTS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA DUE TO LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES AND STRONG WINDS…
Relative Humidities as low as 25 percent can be expected for 4 or
more hours this afternoon into the evening. Sustained winds of 10
to 15 MPH can be expected along with gusts up to 25 MPH.
With drying fuels, high fire danger conditions may be possible.
Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities
whether you may burn outdoors. If you do burn outside,
use extreme caution.
Why does low relative humidity increase the danger of fire?
The National Park Service published the following explanation of why low relative humidity increases the danger of fires:
“Relative humidity is important because dead forest fuels and the air are always exchanging moisture. Low humidity takes moisture from the fuels, and fuels in turn, take moisture from the air when the humidity is high.
“Light fuels, such as grass and pine needles, gain and lose moisture quickly with changes in relative humidity. When the RH drops, fire behavior increases because these fine fuels become drier.
“Heavy fuels, on the other hand, respond to humidity changes more slowly. To see significant changes in heavy fuel moisture, there must be significant moisture, usually from more than a single storm.”
What counties are affected?
The following counties are included in the hazardous weather outlook:
Baldwin
Banks
Barrow
Bartow
Butts
Carroll
Catoosa
Chattooga
Cherokee
Clarke
Clayton
Cobb
Coweta
Dade
Dawson
DeKalb
Douglas
Fannin
Fayette
Floyd
Forsyth
Gilmer
Gordon
Greene
Gwinnett
Hall
Hancock
Haralson
Heard
Henry
Jackson
Jasper
Jones
Lamar
Lumpkin
Madison
Meriwether
Monroe
Morgan
Murray
Newton
North Fulton
Oconee
Oglethorpe
Paulding
Pickens
Pike
Polk
Putnam
Rockdale
South Fulton
Spalding
Taliaferro
Towns
Troup
Union
Walker
Walton
Warren
White
Whitfield
Wilkes
What precautions should be taken?
The National Weather Service recommends extreme caution if you do outdoor burning during high fire danger conditions, and that you check your local fire ordinances.
>> To read a summary of Cobb County’s fire ordinances follow this link
About the National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The NWS describes its role as follows:
“The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy.
“These services include Forecasts and Observations, Warnings, Impact-based Decision Support Services, and Education in an effort to build a Weather-Ready Nation. The ultimate goal is to have a society that is prepared for and responds to weather, water and climate events.”
Read all the Cobb County Courier climate and weather coverage by following this link.
