Firefighters battle wildfire in North Georgia amid Red Flag Warning

PICKENS COUNTY, Ga. - Firefighters were busy across North Georgia battling blazes during a Red Flag Warning on Wednesday. 

The FOX 5 Storm Team is tracking high winds, low humidity, and dry conditions.

Wildfire in Pickens County

What we know:

Pickens County Fire and Georgia Forestry were called out to a wildfire around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon near Burnt Mountain along Highway 136 East near the Overlook. The fire was about 95 percent contained as of 7:45 p.m. 

The blaze was contained to about 40 acres. 

Multiple crews were battling the blaze on the ground and in the air. 

The U.S. Fire Service also assisted.

No homes or property were impacted.

Highway 136 was closed to traffic in both directions for a few hours to allow for crews to access the blaze.

No injuries were reported.

What we don't know:

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Red Flag Warning for North Georgia

Dig deeper:

A Red Flag Warning was issued for Union, Towns, Gordon, Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin, and White counties until 9 p.m. on Wednesday. The FOX 5 Storm Team says the weather conditions are perfect for wildfires to spark and spread quickly. Winds were out of the southwest at 10 to 20 mph with gusts between 30 and 40 mph. Relative humidity was between 15% and 20%. Temperatures were between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Forecasters say those conditions worsen the higher the elevation. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged. "That’s going to make it easy for fires to start, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and spread quickly," said Fox 5 Storm Team meteorologist, Alex Forbes. "If you have any prescribed burns planned today, maybe hold off if you can."

Wildfire relief for North Georgia

What's next:

Looking ahead, a cold front is expected to move through overnight, bringing a narrow band of rain into North Georgia by 2 a.m., followed by scattered showers by early morning. "Unless you're heading out before dawn, you probably won’t see much rain falling," Forbes said. Temperatures are expected to drop significantly behind the front. "Tomorrow afternoon will be about 20 degrees cooler than today, with some scattered showers," Forbes said. By Thursday and Friday, he added, "It would not surprise me at all to see a couple of flurries in areas such as Ellijay, Blue Ridge, and Blairsville." A frost or freeze is possible early Friday morning, with temperatures dipping as far south as the metro Atlanta area. However, the weekend will bring a rebound, with temperatures climbing back into the 70s.

In addition to temperature swings, gusty winds will persist. "Tomorrow, that front pushes through, and behind it, it’s going to be even windier," Forbes said. "Not only are we going to be stuck in the mid-50s, but with gusts upwards of 30 miles per hour, it’s going to feel like the 40s at times."