Lean Environmental Solutions

Guide · Georgia

Wildfire

A grass or forest fire can burn a winter's hay, a barn or a pasture in hours, and fire on farms is hardly insured.

Who and when

Fires are a growing threat to forests and grassland, mainly in the east and in protected areas. Pasture and forest edges are at risk. Months: July to September. No hectare figures were found.

Getting worse.

Right now

Right now (autumn 2026)

  • No 2026 fire report was found.
Before

Before: get ready

  1. Save the emergency number 112. It works 24 hours a day.
  2. Store hay away from houses and barns. (general practice, check locally)
  3. Keep a grazed or ploughed strip around barns, haystacks and hives as a firebreak. (general practice, check locally)
  4. Take care when burning dry grass.
  5. Plan where animals will go in a fire: bare or grazed ground, with gates you can open. (general practice, check locally)

Money: state agro-insurance does not cover fire.

During

During: when it hits

  1. Call 112. Give the type of incident, the exact place and your full name.
  2. Follow the emergency agency's orders to leave.
  3. Move animals to bare or grazed ground. Open gates rather than leave animals shut in. (general practice, check locally)
After

After: recover

First days

  • Give animals fresh water and clean feed first. Ash and soot can spoil hay and water. (general practice, check locally)
  • Thirsty animals can drink too much. Let them drink a little at a time. (general practice, check locally)
  • Take dated photos of burnt hay, buildings and fields before you clear them.

First weeks

  • Check animals closely for burns. Hoof damage can show later. Smoke-damaged lungs can take 4–6 weeks to heal. Do not work animals on smoky days. (general practice, check locally)
  • Keep animals off burnt pasture until it grows back. Plan grazing. (general practice, check locally)
  • Bees after fire: not researched yet.

Money and help

  • Record damage with photos that show date, time and place. Keep a note of every call you make.
  • Fire is not insured, and no fire aid was found.
Build back better

Build back better

  1. Firebreaks around barns, haystacks and hives. (general practice, check locally)
  2. Hay stored away from buildings. (general practice, check locally)

What the farm check looks for

Hay stored next to the house or barn. Farms at a forest or pasture edge in eastern Georgia. Burning grass on or near the farm.

Get a free farm check

Sources