MOULTRIE — The Deep South is currently experiencing severe drought conditions and forecasters do not paint a pretty picture for this fall and winter seasons. The Georgia Forestry Commission is very concerned with not only potential deadly wildfires, but prescribed burners not fully educated on the effects prolong droughts have on fuels and the soil.

As wildland firefighters, we use several information outlets to properly staff units and prepare/modify work plans on critical fire danger days. One of the most common outlets is the National Fire Danger Rating System.

Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) are located throughout Georgia for the purpose of gathering daily weather observations. These observations are used to calculate and create indexes, such as Spread Component, Burning Index, Ignition Component and Drought Index. The Georgia Forestry Commission uses the Burning Index for Staffing Levels for county units, which are labeled Class Days (1 through 5) for firefighters.

The general public receives similar warnings that coincide with our Class Days. Class 1 Day for firefighters would be classified as a low fire danger day and Class 5 would be extreme danger.

One of the more important indexes that is very useful is the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI). This index evaluates the effects of long-term drying on litter and duff. It is based on a measurement of 8 inches of available moisture in the upper soil layers.

The measure is in hundredths of an inch of water and has a range of zero through 800, zero being saturated and 800 the worse drought condition. For example, a KBDI of 300 would indicate a deficit of 3.0 inches of ground water available for vegetation.

The KBDI is a very useful tool for the potential burner. The KBDI will tell you what to expect from a planned bum and what potential damages can result from a bum.

On Tuesday, Nov. 20, the KBDI for the Camilla District was 514.1, and the Forestry Commission would strongly advise against understory burning with this KBDI because root damage can occur. Damaged feeder roots can lead to problems with insect and disease for years to come.

Even though moisture recovery occurs nightly in the South, it mainly affects the lighter, grassy type fuels. Don't be fooled by two inches of rain in one hour. One inch of rain over the span of six hours will have more of an effect on the KBDI than a lot of rain in a short period.

In summary, utilize all the information available to you to make an informed decision about burning. Go to the Commission's Web site, www.gatrees.org, to find the Fire Danger Ratings, weather forecasts and other very useful information. Talk to your county ranger or forester for professional advice, and keep on eye on the KBDI.