Southern area a top priority for national fire response
The last time the Southern Area was the top priority nationally was 18 years ago during Hurricane Katrina
Sheila Holifield, Southern Region Office of Communication
Original feature was first published on September 13, 2023
The South is burning. Over 15,700 wildfires have burned 505,179 acres since New Year’s Day 2023. Persistent dry conditions and high temperatures have created the right circumstances for extreme fire behavior at an unexpected time of year.
“The weather we are seeing is unprecedented. In the western part of the South, we have extremely high temperatures and drought, and to the east we are monitoring hurricanes,” said Ken Arney, regional forester for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, Southern Region.
Check out the full feature here: www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/features/southern-area-top-priority-national-wildfire-response