LOWNDES COUNTY — The Lowndes County Unit of the Georgia Forestry Commission will resume issuing annual burn permits on July 1.

Buck Kline, chief ranger for the Lanier and Lowndes forestry units, said weather conditions had caused them to stop issuing permits.

“The drought conditions made everything very dry and there was no moisture in the vegetation in the woods,” Kline said. “There were 103 forest fires in Lowndes County alone last year.”