Big Ridge fire nears full containment as crews focus on hot spots and repairs

Fire crews continue making progress on the Big Ridge Fire, which has burned 3,434 acres in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. 

As of Friday morning, the fire is 88% contained, with 224 personnel still working on the incident.

The backstory:

Fire activity has significantly diminished, with no new spread expected. Remaining heat is limited to large logs and stump holes, according to fire officials. Crews are focusing their efforts on extinguishing those hot spots and repairing firelines where suppression work caused damage.

On Saturday, management of the fire will transition from the Southern Area Gold Complex Incident Management Team to the Forest’s Type 3 Team, which will handle final suppression and repair efforts. Structure protection work, coordinated by the Georgia Forestry Commission, was completed on Thursday.

Local perspective:

Weather conditions on Friday include a high of 82 degrees, minimum humidity of 47%, and southwest winds between 8-12 mph with gusts up to 22 mph. A 20% chance of thunderstorms remains in the forecast today and Saturday. A frontal system arriving Sunday is expected to bring widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms, with an 80% chance of wetting rain.

Resources assigned to the fire include four crews, 11 engines, three bulldozers, one helicopter, a masticator, and an excavator.

(U.S. Forestry Service)

Dig deeper:

Although the burn ban for the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest has been lifted, officials urge the public to continue following fire safety best practices. These include keeping fires small, never leaving them unattended, and ensuring they are fully extinguished.

What you can do:

No evacuations are currently in place, but an area closure remains around the Big Ridge Fire. Details are available at inciweb.wildfire.gov.

For the latest updates, visit the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest website.

What's next:

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations unit is asking anyone who was near the area on March 22 and witnessed suspicious activity to contact the Georgia Forestry Commission Arson Hotline at 1-800-428-7337.