Fire Danger Continues as Extreme Drought Conditions Persist in Metro Atlanta

The map above is from the National Integrated Drought Information Service

A Fire Danger Statement is in effect across north and portions of east-central Georgia today, with very dry vegetation and low humidity creating elevated wildfire risk through this evening.

Much of metro Atlanta is under extreme drought conditions.

Hazardous fire weather conditions are expected to persist through the weekend, and isolated thunderstorms could develop in far north Georgia Thursday and Saturday nights.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for north and central Georgia for Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

Bonus for the more weather-curious among you … To read an article about interpreting a weather news report with some of the typical terminology defined, follow this link.

What is in the Hazardous Weather Outlook Statement?

The statement contains the following information:

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north and central Georgia.

.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight…

A Fire Danger Statement is in effect this afternoon and evening
for north Georgia and portions of east-central Georgia. Very dry
vegetation and low relative humidity will support high fire danger
conditions. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Thursday through Tuesday…

Hazardous fire weather conditions are expected Wednesday through
Sunday for much of north and central Georgia amid very dry
antecedent conditions.

Isolated thunderstorms will be possible across portions of far
north Georgia on Thursday night and again on Saturday night.

Counties included in the alert

Baldwin
Banks
Barrow
Bartow
Bibb
Bleckley
Butts
Carroll
Catoosa
Chattahoochee
Chattooga
Cherokee
Clarke
Clayton
Cobb
Coweta
Crawford
Crisp
Dade
Dawson
DeKalb
Dodge
Dooly
Douglas
Emanuel
Fannin
Fayette
Floyd
Forsyth
Gilmer
Glascock
Gordon
Greene
Gwinnett
Hall
Hancock
Haralson
Harris
Heard
Henry
Houston
Jackson
Jasper
Jefferson
Johnson
Jones
Lamar
Laurens
Lumpkin
Macon
Madison
Marion
Meriwether
Monroe
Montgomery
Morgan
Murray
Muscogee
Newton
North Fulton
Oconee
Oglethorpe
Paulding
Peach
Pickens
Pike
Polk
Pulaski
Putnam
Rockdale
Schley
South Fulton
Spalding
Stewart
Sumter
Talbot
Taliaferro
Taylor
Telfair
Toombs
Towns
Treutlen
Troup
Twiggs
Union
Upson
Walker
Walton
Warren
Washington
Webster
Wheeler
White
Whitfield
Wilcox
Wilkes
Wilkinson

Why does low humidity lead to increased risk of fire?

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.”

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.

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