Georgia, 2011

Wildfire in Georgia, June 1 to 30, 2011

June 1 to 30, 2011 · NWS JAX · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Long term drought conditions continued to create dry surface fuels. Scattered storms produced lightning strikes, especially during the middle of the month, which ignited numerous more fires across the forecast area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS JAX wrote it up.

Long term drought conditions continued to create dry surface fuels. Scattered storms produced lightning strikes, especially during the middle of the month, which ignited numerous more fires across the forecast area. In addition, thunderstorm wind gusts and outflow boundaries produced sporadic and frequent wind shifts which enabled some fires to spread quickly.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Jacksonville, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 8:11 PM EST, 3 hours 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 8:11 PM EST, 3 hours 49 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
911 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011

.UPDATE...HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE TO THE NORTH HAS A DEEP E-NE FLOW
OVER THE REGION. VORTICITY MAX ROTATING SW AROUND HIGH IS NOW OFF
THE CAROLINA COAST PRODUCING A MCS. GFS/ECMWF MODELS SHOW VORT MAX
REACHING NE FL COAST AROUND 12Z. EXPECT A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NE FL AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS 06Z-12Z TONIGHT
AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. CONVECTION WILL LIKELY CONTINUE AND SPREAD
WWD OVER LAND TIL AROUND MIDDAY WHEN SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE GULF.

&&

.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT WITH FOG POTENTIAL
LOW.

&&

.MARINE...EASTERLY WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS AND SEAS AROUND 3 FEET
TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY MOVE INTO THE NE FL WATERS
FROM THE EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT.

&&

.JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...NONE.
GA...NONE.
AM...NONE.
&&

ZIBURA/ZAPPE/PRESNALL
Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 8:05 PM EST, 3 hours 55 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
905 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011

FLZ020>025-030>033-035>038-040-GAZ132>136-149>154-162>166-010900-
ALACHUA-APPLING-ATKINSON-BACON-BAKER-BRADFORD-BRANTLEY-
CAMDEN (COASTAL)-CAMDEN (INLAND)-CHARLTON-CLAY-CLINCH-COFFEE-
COLUMBIA-DUVAL-ECHOLS-FLAGLER-GILCHRIST-GLYNN (COASTAL)-
GLYNN (INLAND)-HAMILTON-JEFF DAVIS-MARION-NASSAU-PIERCE-PUTNAM-
ST JOHNS-SUWANNEE-UNION-WARE-WAYNE-
905 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT...

...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS...

EASTERLY FLOW AND BUILDING SWELLS WILL ELEVATE THE RISK OF RIP
CURRENTS ALONG THE COAST. PLEASE REFER TO THE SURF ZONE FORECAST
FOR MORE INFORMATION.

A WILDFIRE CONTINUES TO BURN ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 1 NORTHWEST OF RACE
POND IN EASTERN WARE COUNTY. SMOKE WILL SPREAD WEST TO SOUTHWEST
GENERALLY IMPACTING AREAS ALONG HIGHWAY 1 SOUTH OF WAYCROSS AND
INTERESTS TOWARD MANOR AND FARGO. DUE TO EASTERLY WINDS...
VISIBILITIES CLOSE TO AND JUST DOWNSTREAM OF THE FIRE MAY BE REDUCED
TO A MILE OR LESS AND MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR SUDDEN
VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS. SMOKE MAY MIX WITH FOG LATE TONIGHT. A
PORTION OF U.S. 1 AND HIGHWAY 177 MAY BE CLOSED NEAR THE FIRE.

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS LATE TONIGHT AS AN UPPER
DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
A THUNDERSTORM AS WELL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY...

AN ELEVATED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEK
DUE TO PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW AND EASTERLY SWELLS.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EACH DAY WITH A BREEZY ONSHORE
FLOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED AT THIS TIME.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN JACKSONVILLE WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/JAX.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Ware

When
June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Ware forecast zone
Reported by
Park/Forest Service

The Honey Prairie Wildfire complex had burned about 152,994 acres on June 1st and was about 80 percent contained. By the 19th of the month, the fire burned about 233,606 acres and was only 60 percent contained again. Then, by the 30th the fire had burned 286,698 acres and was about 70 percent contained. By the 30th, it was estimated that the fire cost to date was around $30 million.

Wildfire, Ware

When
June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Ware forecast zone
Reported by
Park/Forest Service

The Sweat Farm Again wildfire had burned about about 19,000 acres and was only 38 percent contained on the 23rd. By the 30th, the fire had burned 19,169 acres and was 75 percent contained.

Wildfire, Brantley

When
June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Brantley forecast zone
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
31.197, -81.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Racepond Wildfire had burned about 7,855 acres and was 60 percent contained on the 1st. On the 30th, the fire burned 20,934 acres and was 72 percent contained.

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Georgia in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, June 2011

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 308904, 308905, 308906.