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| Glynn County firefighters
put out a blaze on St. Simons Island, Monday. The fire, which started as a
controlled fire by a homeowner, was quickly under control — limiting damage
to natural habitat. (Photo by Karen Lane/The Brunswick News) |
County fire department seeing more
blazes getting out of control ...
When his controlled burning got out
of hand Monday afternoon, St. Simons Island homeowner Ernest Ramsey did what any
quick-thinking resident would do. He immediately called the Glynn County Fire
Department for assistance.
It took firefighters about 30 minutes
to control the fire at 134 Ramsey Lane, in mid-island, limiting damage to dried
vegetation.
Ramsey was quick to call the
department because of a past experience with fire. It cost him a home in 1989.
But there was nothing unique about
his call Monday. In fact, the county fire department is getting a lot of them
these days.
Residents burning leaves and other
yard debris are letting the fires get away from them.
"The main thing they don't take into
consideration is the wind," Glynn County Fire Department Capt. Tim Symons said.
When a burn spreads in a backyard,
the fire department is called to put it out.
"When we have to commit a truck to an
out-of-control burn, we're tying up resources," Symons said. "It can hamstring
us."
When a fire spreads outside the
owner's property, the Georgia Forestry Commission is called out and can issue
citations, Symons said.
Windy and humid conditions are not
the only reasons fires can get out of control. Residents can lose control of a
burn if they leave it unattended.
Some throw too much into the fire,
increasing its size to a point where it becomes more than can be handled with a
regular garden hose.
"What happens is people throw
anything they can think of into the fire," Symons said. "We try to counsel
people when they do."
The Georgia Forestry Commission
allows permits when conditions like humidity and wind direction are right for a
safe burn. Permits allow property owners to burn yard debris such as leaves and
small piles of limbs that are no larger in dimension than 6 feet by 6 feet. The
fires are allowed after 8 a.m. and should be extinguished before dark.
It is illegal to burn trash and other
items that are toxic in yard fires.
The Jekyll Island Authority is not
allowing fires in its campground because of dry conditions.
James Armstrong, chief forestry
commission ranger in Glynn County, said the area is currently two inches under
normal rain fall.
Prescribed burns are not allowed
within city limits.
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