From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Forestry Commission announced on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019, that all 67 counties remain under a Fire Alert that was first issued last month as scattered rain across Alabama has not been enough to ease the wildfire threat.
The Fire Alert will remain in effect until rescinded by the State Forester.
While under a Fire Alert, permits for outdoor burning are restricted and issued on an individual basis at the discretion of the State Forester. Anyone who burns a field, grassland, or woodland without a burn permit may be subject to prosecution for committing a Class B misdemeanor.
The agency’s website said four active wildfires involving 50 acres were burning as of Friday, and 16 more fires were contained or controlled.
State fire crews have responded to more than 173 wildfires that burned more than 1,800 acres of land this month. That includes a 365-acre fire in Sumter County and a 122-acre fire in Shelby County.
Dry conditions spread across the state in September because of a lack of rainfall and record high temperatures. The state said it recorded 472 blazes that burned more than 6,000 acres this past month.
Additional rain is forecast in coming days.
To report a wildfire, call (800) 392-5679.
