Wildfires continue burning across Georgia

Fire activity continues to be heavy throughout Georgia. In the past 48 hours, Georgia Forestry Commission firefighters responded to 135 wildfires that charred thousands of acres statewide. In the southeastern portion of the state, GFC firefighters are currently battling multiple wildfires. Critical fire weather conditions are also occurring in extreme northeast Georgia. Burn permits are not being issued for outdoor burning in any part of the state.

Complicating the situation is Georgia's ongoing drought. More than two-thirds of the state is in a "severe," "extreme" or "exceptional" drought as ranked by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Drought index numbers are high across the state, as measured by the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI). On a scale of 0 to 800, the KBDI relates weather conditions to expected fire behavior, with "0" indicating no moisture deficiency and 800 the maximum drought possible. Georgia counties' KBDI ratings can be found at GaTrees.org under "Fire Weather."

Dade County – fire on Scenic Highway, estimated 53 acres burned, 90 percent contained;

Johnson County – 20 acre fire burning, 95 percent contained;

Sumter County – 120 acre fire burning, 8 structures were threatened but are now secure, 90 percent contained;

Lee County – 125 acre fire contained;

Tift County – 150 acre fire 85 percent contained;

Turner County – 30 acre fire contained;

Crawford County – 45 acre fire contained;

Decatur County – Four new fires reported, several structures damaged;

Long County

o Frazier Harris Road fire (started 6/9) has burned 600 acres. Crews currently have the fire contained, but continue to monitor containment lines;

o Smiley Crossroad fire (started 6/10 – 11 miles SE of Glennville, GA) has burned 305 acres.

Half-a-Hell Alphabet: U.S. Gazetteer and American "Hell" Lust, "B ...

JF Ptak Science Books   Post 1517  (With thanks to Dick Carlson for prompting this skip-along)

[Hell of Botticelli]

In spite of the nature of the name,"Hell" appears in frothy, popular abundance in the U.S. Gazetteer.  I suspect that most of the naming was crustily done, and perhaps some were made in spite or jest--but a fair number of them must have been named for the sake of accuracy.  Mostly the names are for geographical bits like a canyon, or swamp, bend, landing, gap, lake, creek, neck, pond, bar, gate, hill, basin or pool--the vast majority of them having to do with water more so than flat-out heat or desert. Hell doesn't always stand alone:  there are Upper and Lower Hells, Screaming Hells, Merry Hells, and of course Whole- and Half-Hells.

There's a peculiar minority that give Hell as the name to uncommon places, like a cemetery; but what I don't really understand are the few that reach down low, like Hell Street School (Mahoning County, Ohio) and (though less so) the Hell Creek School (Garfield County, Montana).  At least "creek" gives a watery lessening to the firey name--Hell Street, like Hell's Kitchen, just doesn't sound so great. 

There are Hells aplenty in the Gazetteer, Old Hell and New Hell, Hell for Certain and Hell for Sure--I wonder now how many other places in the United States are named for the things that one must do to gain admittance to the Lake of Fire?

And so:

Bar, Old Hell.

Bay, Hell Hole Bay Wilderness (Berkeley County, SC)

Canyon, Hell. (Millard County, CT)

Cat, Hell Cat Bay (Putnam County, FL)

Creek, Hell (Roswell County, KS)

For Certain Creek, Hell (Leslie County, KY)

For Sure Lake, Hell.  (Fresno, CA)

Gap, Hell.  (Goshen, NY)

Gate, Hell. (NYC)

Hole, Hell (El Dorado County, CA)

Hollow, Hell. (New London County, CT)

Landing, Little Hell (Martin County, SC)

Lower Hell Hole (Placer County, CA)

Neck, Hell. (Glouchester county, VA)

Old Hell Bight (Wayne County, GA)

Pocosin, Hell. (Onslow County, NC)

Point, Hell (Burke County, GA)

Pond, Little Hell.

Jeff Davis County, Georgia, Denton, Georgia, Hazlehurst, Georgia, Jeff Davis High School, Georgia State Route 27, Tallahassee, Georgia

Watershed work plan, Bishop Creek watershed, Appling and Jeff Davis Counties, Georgia

Underground waters of the coastal plain of Georgia

Acts passed by the General Assembly of Georgia

The Southeastern reporter