By Mike O’Neal
Chattanooga Times Free Press
Copyright 2007 Chattanooga Publishing Company
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Recent rains have helped dampen the threat of wildfires, but local foresters warn the risk is not completely extinguished.
“The rain will help reduce the threat of wildfire and will help trees recover after the freezes,” Tom Hudlow, district forester with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry, said Friday.
Year-to-date rainfall is well below the normal level, records show, which could extend the fire season beyond its traditional end around May 15, foresters said.
“Dry weather has been a major contributor to fires,” Mr. Hudlow said.
So far this year, 8.38 inches of rain has fallen in the Chattanooga area, compared to last year’s precipitation of 11.85 inches during the same time. The normal amount of rainfall is 18.44 inches, according to David Hotz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn.
Southeast Tennessee has had an above normal number of fires and amount of acreage burned this fire season, Mr. Hudlow said.
“Our biggest fire was on Prentice Cooper (State Forest) in the later part of February when about 1,000 acres burned,” he said.
Steve Blackwell, chief ranger of Dade and Walker counties for the Georgia Forestry Commission, said more than 33,000 acres — about 10,000 more than normal — have burned in Georgia since last July.
Wildfires have been worse and occurred more often because of lingering drought conditions in the region, according to foresters. Carelessness and arson also have been major causes of Georgia’s wildfires this year, Mr. Blackwell said.
“The No. 1 cause is not paying attention to what they’re doing when burning debris,” he said. “People get a permit, have their burn, think the fire is out, leave and it rekindles.”
Heavy rain and thunderstorms that Mr. Hotz described as “frog stranglers” are forecast for today.
He said this weekend’s rainfall may total 1 to 3 inches across Southeast Tennessee, with more rain expected by midweek.
But woodsmen say neither days on a calendar nor rainfall totals are the best way to tell when the fire season is over.
“When the kudzu gets green, honestly, that’s what we consider the end of fire season,” Mr. Blackwell said.