High winds and dry conditions contribute to fire danger

A brush fire began burning Wednesday near I-20 and Panola Road. It’s the second day a fire has started in the area. The fire shut down a portion of west bound I-20 Wednesday afternoon, but Georgia Department of Transportation officials say the interstate has since been reopened. The fire comes after the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for most of Georgia until 7 p.m. Wednesday.

National Weather Service meteorologist Jessica Fieux says the warning was issued because today’s conditions make it easy for fires to spread rapidly.

“We have relative humidity values across our area that are 25 percent or less for an hour or more and then we have winds that are 15 miles per hour or greater.”

Fieux also says the lack of rain contributes to the danger.

“The material that’s on the ground and everything, the trees, they are dry, so once a fire gets started it’s going to spread very quickly.”

The National Weather Service says there will still be a chance of fire danger tomorrow but the conditions will make it less likely.