January 30, 2003
Lowndes County - Fire investigators believe one small cigarette set 25 acres of land off Staten Road up in flames.
"They were probably just riding by, flicked their cigarette butt out the window and never thought twice," said Lowndes Fire Chief Jim Fielding.
Luckily, no people or homes were harmed by the blazes, but with several houses just yards away, things could have been much worse. "The wind picked it up, spread it all over in patches, and we're lucky it missed those homes," said Fielding.
With little to no rainfall over the past month, Fielding says fire outbreaks like this continue to threaten South Georgia. And although much needed rain is the best prevention, Fielding says South Georgians can help by simply being careful.
"Always use your ashtray and never throw cigarette butts out the window," said Fielding. "And, even if you have trash or leaves you need to burn, its best not to even burn trash right now, just let it decompose."
If you do choose to burn your trash or land, Fielding says you must obtain a burn permit from the Forestry Service. But still, the best method of preventing grass fires is to avoid any kind of burning until we receive more rain.
posted at 2:45 by ashley.harper@walb.com
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