ATLANTA — Outdoor burning has been prohibited with parts of North and Central Georgia currently under a red flag warning through Tuesday evening.

According to the Georgia Forestry Commission, a red flag warning has been issued for Fannin, Union, Towns, Lumpkin, White, Hall, Banks, Franklin, Hart, Habersham, Stephens and Rabun counties.

The National Weather Service defines a red flag warning as warm temperatures, very low humidity, and stronger winds expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger.

The Red flag warning will be in effect through 8 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Fire officials say there has been more than 1,600 fires reported in Georgia so far in 2025. Georgia also had a 20 percent increase during the five-year average during the same three month period, officials say.

Georgia Forestry Commission officials say debris burning has resulted in more than 50 percent of all wildfires in the state. Debris burning includes yard leaf piles, agricultural, construction land clearing, escaped prescribed burning and forestry site preparation.

Here are some tips to prevent fires:

• If you are allowed to burn in your area, all burn barrels must be covered with a weighted metal cover, with holes no larger than 3/4 of an inch.
• Do not throw cigarettes or matches out of a moving vehicle. They may ignite dry grass on the side of the road and become a wildfire.
• Extinguish all outdoor fires properly. Drown fires with plenty of water and stir to make sure everything is cold to the touch. Dunk charcoal in water until cold. Do not throw live charcoal on the ground and leave it.
• Never leave a fire unattended. Sparks or embers can blow into leaves or grass, ignite a fire, and quickly spread.