People in the Dawsonville area may have noticed sunny and smoky conditions in the area this week—but not to fear.  

The otherwise pleasant weather makes for prime conditions for ongoing prescribed burns throughout March.  

The Georgia Forestry Association and the Department of Natural Resources conducted a 900-acre prescribed burn in the Dawson Forest area Wednesday, according to a Dawson County Government Facebook post.  

Georgia Forestry personnel will be conducting another control burn near Ga. 136 and Burt Creek Road Thursday, stated a Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services post. 

Prescribed burns in the area are part of larger planned fires throughout Georgia, according to a recent press release from the Georgia Forestry Commision.  

Prescribed burns are also known as “good fires,” while uncontrolled and accidental fires are “bad fires” or “wildfires,” the agency’s press release stated.  

This type of burn can help threatened and endangered plants or animals dependent on post-fire conditions, provide feeding areas for wildlife, improve timber production, and burn off ground fuels to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, according to the release.  

People who are certified and trained plan prescribed burns for times when they can help achieve the greatest ecological benefits with the fewest smoke impacts. 

Once they're done setting fires for each control burn, smoke may still linger depending on a burn's size. 

The Georgia Forestry Commission manages the permitting system for prescribed fire. Permits are required for acreage burns. Land managers planning to burn should call 1-800-GA-TREES (428-7337) to get a permit. For more information, visit GaTrees.org.