Sand Mountain wildfire now under control

DADE COUNTY, Georgia (WDEF) – A wildfire in Dade County is fully contained but not before it destroyed 136 acres, according to forest firefighters.

Georgia Forestry says the fire started yesterday afternoon around 5.

Investigators suspect arson.

Georgia Forestry has created a barrier around the entire perimeter using bulldozers and assistance from ten rangers.

“We’re here putting in lines on it. Right now it’s one hundred percent contained. 136 acres total and 46 acres in Georgia, the rest is in Tennessee. We do have containment lines on it now and we hope the rain will put the rest of the smoke out.”

Georgia Forestry says the high humidity and incoming rainfall should fully squelch the fire.

They said arson is not uncommon in this area.

Meanwhile, Alabama has been scorched by more than 200 wildfires over the last week.

They have stretched from Mobile on the coast to the Tennessee line.

8 of them have burned more than 100 acres (like the Dade County fire did).

The Alabama Forestry Commission blames the warm and windy weather over the last week.

They hope the rain sweeping across the state today will douse the flames.

wildfire in southwest Alabama 2 15 22 photo by AFC Pilot Robert Trimble