DO NOT BURN: Forestry issues warning ahead of critical fire weather
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- Alabama Forestry Commission warns of critical fire weather Friday-Saturday with 30 MPH winds and low humidity.
- Outdoor burn permits banned Saturday; violators face Class B misdemeanor charges; 147 wildfires reported in seven days.
Alabama Forestry Commission is warning the public ahead of critical fire weather expected Friday and through the weekend.
The critical fire weather is expected Friday, March 27 is expected to worsen on Saturday, March 28, as elevated wind gusts up to 30 MPH and humidity levels reach a low of 19 percent.
The commission issued a Fire Danger Advisory for Friday, and a Fire Alert for Saturday.
The commission said the combination of these conditions creates a “greater-than-average potential for outdoor fires to escape easily and spread rapidly, taking longer – and more of the agency’s firefighting resources – to contain and ultimately control.”
Fast-moving wildfires can destroy property, forests and endanger citizens and firefighters.
The commission said prescribed burn permits will be limited to only Certified Prescribed Burn Managers on Friday.
“Permits for outdoor burning will not be issued to anyone on Saturday,” they said. Anyone who burns a field, grassland, or woodland without a burn permit may be subject to prosecution for committing a Class B misdemeanor.
On Sunday, the potential for critical fire weather is expected to decrease slightly. The AFC plans to resume regular permit issuing on Sunday.
In the last seven days, the commission responded to 147 wildfires, some of which were in the Chattahoochee Valley. To report a wildfire, call (800) 392-5679.
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