Waycross, GA – Dry air and gusty winds could allow fires to spread rapidly across interior southeast Georgia on Saturday, prompting a Red Flag Warning for several counties where vegetation remains extremely dry.
According to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, critical fire conditions will develop late Saturday morning and last through early Saturday evening across Coffee, Jeff Davis, Bacon, Appling, and Atkinson counties. The warning runs from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m. Saturday, replacing an earlier Fire Weather Watch as confidence increased in dangerous fire conditions.
Northeast winds are expected to blow between 10 and 20 mph with gusts approaching 30 mph, while relative humidity may drop to around 20 percent during the afternoon. Temperatures will climb into the upper 60s. The combination of wind and very dry fuels across the region could cause existing fires to spread unpredictably, especially along and northwest of a line from Homerville through Waycross to Jesup.
Emergency officials warn that outdoor burning could quickly become uncontrollable. Residents are urged to avoid any open flames, postpone debris burning, and properly extinguish cigarettes or equipment that could spark flames. Land managers and firefighters may face difficult containment conditions through the afternoon.
The heightened wildfire threat should gradually ease after sunset Saturday as humidity slowly rises, but officials say additional advisories could follow if dry weather persists.
