---
title: O.C.G.A. § 12-6-89. ‘‘Extreme forest fire emergency’’ defined; authority of Governor, forestry investigators, and peace officers in emergency; advice by director to Governor as to existence of emergency.
collection: code
id: 12-6-89
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 12-6-89 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-6-89
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-6-89.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-6-89/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t12-(v10)-2021-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=67595359_0#page=733
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES / FOREST RESOURCES AND OTHER PLANT LIFE / FOREST RESOURCES / FOREST FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL
---

# O.C.G.A. § 12-6-89. ‘‘Extreme forest fire emergency’’ defined; authority of Governor, forestry investigators, and peace officers in emergency; advice by director to Governor as to existence of emergency.

(a) As used in this Code section, ‘‘extreme forest fire emergency’’ means a condition whereby forest fires within the state are of such number, size, severity, and intensity that they cannot be controlled by the existing facilities of the State Forestry Commission and are endangering life and property.

(b) The Governor shall have authority to declare and determine the existence and termination of such emergency and, by order, rule, or regulation, to prohibit hunting, fishing, camping, or picnicking in any woods or lands of the state, or to prohibit the entering of such woods or lands for any other purposes which might cause a fire hazard or endanger the life or property of any person within such area. The Governor may direct and commandeer all state agencies and personnel to assist the State Forestry Commission in such emergency by executive order.

(c) Forestry investigators and any and all other peace officers of this state, or of any county or municipality thereof, shall have authority to make arrests for violation of any order, rule, or regulation made pursuant to a declaration of extreme forest fire emergency. Any person who violates any such order, rule, or regulation shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(d) The director of the State Forestry Commission will notify the Governor from time to time what situation, in his judgment, constitutes an extreme forest fire emergency.

## History

Ga. L. 1949, p. 968; Ga. L. 1955, p. 309, §§ 37, 38; Ga. L. 1959, p. 72, § 2.

## Cross References

Emergency powers of Governor generally, §§ 38-3-22, 38-3-51, 45-12-29 et seq.