Summer air quality precautions are going back in place for north Georgians. From May 1 through September 30, the Environmental Protection Division restricts residents in 54 counties from burning yard and land clearing debris because smoke may affect ozone levels in urban areas.
The 54 Georgia counties affected are: Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Coweta, Crawford, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gordon, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Lumpkin, Madison, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Richmond, Rockdale, Spalding, Troup, Twiggs, Upson, Walker, and Walton. Outside of the 54 counties with restrictions, prescribed burning and some outdoor burning are still permitted when weather conditions are suitable…