WILDFIRE ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT
Effective immediately, the Alabama Forestry Commission has suspended the issuance of all burn permits through Sunday, March 2, due to gusty winds and low relative humidities. The weather situation will be re-evaluated on Monday.
Very low relative humidities statewide and gusty winds, combined with drying fuels resulting from the lack of significant rain, have resulted in 95 wildfire ignitions today alone. In the last seven days, the agency has responded to 263 wildfires that have burned more than 6,400 acres of forestland across the state.
Anyone who has burned in the last few days should check their fires to make sure they are properly extinguished. Smoking piles immediately adjacent to flammable vegetation have the chance to rekindle and spread under these conditions. Anyone who burns a field, grassland, or woodland without a burn permit may be subject to prosecution for committing a Class B misdemeanor.
The Alabama Forestry Commission is the state agency committed to protecting Alabama’s invaluable forest assets as well as its citizens. To report a wildfire, call (800) 392-5679. For more information on the current wildfire situation in the state or any other forestry-related issues, contact your local AFC office or visit the agency website at www.forestry.alabama.gov.
