Stephens Co. Lifts Outdoor Burn Ban

Stephens County lifts its outdoor burn ban.

County Commissioners voted unanimously to rescind the burn ban at a called meeting on Wednesday.

The ban on all outdoor burning was passed back by county commissioners and Toccoa City Commissioners last month due to the drought and extremely dry conditions at the time.

Since then, downtown Toccoa had received nearly five inches of rain.

Stephens County Commission Chair Dennis Bell said the county appreciates the public’s cooperation during the burn ban.

“The marshal had to go out and talk to a few people and Fire Services had to go talk to a few as well,” said Bell. “We do appreciate everybody cooperating with us on this and making sure our community stayed safe. That is why we had to put this in place, because we wanted to make sure our citizens and community was safe.”

Meanwhile, Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse said city commissioners will take up rescinding the burn ban at their meeting on Monday.

A burn permit from the Georgia Forestry Commission is still required for outdoor burning.

Georgia Forestry Commission Spokesperson Wendy Burnett said those are being considered and issued on a day-by-day basis.

“Our local personnel in county offices, including Stephens County, will be evaluating conditions daily to make the determination as to whether or not to issue burn permits on a day to day basis,” said Burnett. “Safety is our top priority, so if you try to receive a permit and are not successful, it is simply because it is not safe to burn that day. We ask people to continue to exercise caution and always get a permit before initiating any outdoor burning.”

People can obtain a burn permit by going to www.gatrees.org or calling 877-OK2-BURN (877-652-2876).

Elsewhere, the U.S. Forest Service has lifted the total burn ban that has been in place for the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests since November 8, but officials urge caution when building and maintaining and putting out campfires, noting drought status still exists.

Also, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has lifted the campfire restriction that has been in place on Georgia Wildlife Management Areas.