Burke affected by South Georgia fires
By MeShae Hankerson Intern

This past weekend, area residents experienced two unusual odors, one of which City Councilman Neal Leonard Sr. described as a "gas smell." Aside from the gas smell, a large portion of the county along with much of coastal South Georgia has been encountering heavy smoke for several days, particularly during the morning hours.

At Monday night's city council meeting, Mayor Jesse Stone stated that he had been curious about the smells and paid a visit to the Waynesboro Fire Department where he learned there had been no fires in Waynesboro. The smoke drifted here from several wildfires in the southern part of Georgia.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) stated in a recent press release that winds are shifting the heavy smoke to the area and causing reduced visibility.

The DOT also advised motorists to use caution especially during early mornings when smoke and fog may mix.

The gas smell in many Waynesboro homes was due to an over-application of a deoderizer routinely added to gas lines to help detect leaks.

The city received more than 50 calls about the odor.