The Rough Ridge fire, located in the Cohutta Wilderness, expanded over the weekend to burn 21,533 acres as of Tuesday morning, November 15.

While Public Safety Director Tony Pritchett assures citizens there is still no immidiate threat to residents in the area, people are continuing to grow more uneasy about the lingering smoke in North Georgia. The smoke cover is part of a larger concern involving numerous small and five major fires that are pouring smoke over our region.

As authorities continue to battle the blaze, the have contained roughly 20% of the local Rough Ridge Fire, but as long as the fire keeps burning, Director Pritchett anticipates the smoke to persist for a while.

The effects of the smoke are being felt all over, one example being that the Gilmer Board of Education decided on Friday to withhold sending its younger students to the Veteran’s Day Celebration in Downtown Ellijay, instead only sending High School students from the Band and Chorus who chose to go out to participate in their contributions of music and song to the celebration. Superintendent Dr. Shanna Wilkes stated the event was not mandatory and students who had respiratory issues, health concerns, or general concerns with the smoke cover were not penalized for electing to not attend.