Fire Rages In MoCo

Montgomery County firefighters and Georgia Forestry Commission rangers worked together throughout the night on Thursday, January 22, to extinguish a large wildfire that ravaged

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a southern portion of the county.

Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Tristan Willis stated that the brush fire began in the area of Georgia Highway 221 South near Cedar Creek and Deer Run Roads at around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. When responders arrived, they requested assistance from the Georgia Forestry Commission due to the extent of the fire, and additional fire units were requested to assist throughout the blaze.

The fire, which was believed to have began as a controlled burn, was officially extinguished around 10:15 p.m., with a total of 98.9 acres having been burnt.

Willis shared his gratitude to the assisting agencies, which included the Georgia Department of Corrections Fire Services Station 6, Uvalda Fire Department, Mount Vernon Fire Department, Tarrytown Fire Department, Ailey Fire Department, Georgia Forestry Commission, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Vernon Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, and Georgia Department of Transportation.

“We are very thankful and appreciative for everyone’s dedication and quick response,” he emphasized.

According to the Georgia Forestry Commission, fires have spread throughout the southern portion of the state while the northern half of the state froze over with Winter Storm Fern. The Commission stated that the Montgomery County fire was one of several fires that rangers had helped to extinguish, as a total of 7 wildfires burned around 40 acres throughout the state.

The Commission issued a statement informing citizens that even with recent rainfall, the southern portion of the state was at an elevated risk for fires, as it encouraged citizens to use caution with anything that could spark outdoors.