Updated with video; Officials say compared to 2010 there has been a 75 percent increase.
ALBANY, GA. -- Dougherty County fire officials say over the past year this area has seen a significant spike in wildfires.
They say when comparing the numbers from 2010 to the number of incidents up until July of 2011, there is a 75 percent difference.
Fire officials document a rise in brush fires for both rural and urban areas. They believe heat and drought conditions play a significant role in this change.
“Everything else being equal. The way we respond, the way we record the information. The only thing really different this year was the weather conditions, the heat and drought,” said Albany Fire Department’s Assistant Chief of Operations Allen Cravey.
He says grassy areas along roadways have seen the largest increase in fires for this year.
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