Wildfire Management

Wildland fire can be a friend and a foe. In the right place at the right time, wildland fire can create many environmental benefits, such as reducing grass, brush, and trees that can fuel large and severe wildfires and improving wildlife habitat. In the wrong place at the wrong time, wildfires can wreak havoc, threatening lives, homes, communities, and natural and cultural resources.

This is more important than ever because over the last few decades, the wildland fire management environment has profoundly changed. Longer fire seasons; bigger fires and more acres burned on average each year; more extreme fire behavior; and wildfire suppression operations in the wildland urban interface (WUI) have become the norm. 

Humans cause nearly nine out of ten wildfires. When you visit the forest, fire prevention is YOUR responsibility. Forest visitors are also reminded to ensure that all fires are extinguished and cold to the touch before leaving them. Learn more about campfire safety from Smokey Bear. 

 

 

Active Wildfires in Georgia

Our partners at the Georgia Forestry Commission manage the "Georgia Wildfire Public Viewer." This web map product provides current information on Georgia’s reported and active wildfires.

See Active Wildfires

• Current Weather

 

Information Resources and Partners

The Forest Service has been managing wildland fire on National Forests and Grasslands for more than 100 years. But the Forest Service doesn’t – and can’t – do it alone. Instead, the agency works closely with other federal, tribal, state, and local partners. The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest works directly with numerous other federal, tribal, state, and local partners to manage wildland fire.

To address these challenges, the Forest Service and its other federal, tribal, state, and local partners have developed and are implementing a National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy that seeks to safely and effectively extinguish fire when needed; use fire where allowable; manage our natural resources; and as a nation, live with wildland fire. The strategy has three key components: Resilient Landscapes, Fire Adapted Communities, and Safe and Effective Wildfire Response.

Some important information resources and partners include:

• National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC)
  • Southern Area Coordination Center (SACC)
  • Current Fires in Georgia (inciweb.nwcg.gov)
     
• Georgia Forestry Commission
   
• Wildfire Risk to Communities - wildfirerisk.org
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• Landfire (geospatial data on wildland vegetation)
   
• Wildfire Hazard Potential
   
• National Association of State Foresters
  • Southern Group of State Foresters
  • SouthWRAP - Real-Time Wildfire Maps and Data for the United States.
     
• National Wildfire Coordinating Group
   
• Joint Fire Science Program
   
• Air quality: www.georgiaair.org

• U.S. Drought Monitor - Georgia

  The Drought Monitor summary map identifies general areas of drought and labels them by intensity. 

  The Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions. Local conditions may vary.

 

 

Wildland Fire Management Goals on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest

 

Return to Fire Management Information