Urgent fire advisory in effect for 22 Alabama counties
JACKSON COUNTY, Al. (WDEF) — The Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) has issued a Fire Danger Advisory for 22 counties in west-central and southwest Alabama.
The advisory, effective immediately, covers the following counties:
- Baldwin
- Butler
- Choctaw
- Clarke
- Crenshaw
- Conecuh
- Covington
- Dallas
- Escambia
- Greene
- Hale
- Lamar
- Limestone
- Lowndes
- Jackson
- Madison
- Marengo
- Mobile
- Monroe
- Pickens
- Sumter
- Washington
It will remain in place until significant rainfall occurs.
Unseasonably warm and dry conditions are increasing the risk of wildfires, particularly in areas impacted by drought and beetle infestations.
AFC Fire Analyst Ethan Barrett noted that dead pine trees, weakened by last year’s drought and this year’s southern pine beetle outbreak, are contributing to more intense fires, which complicates containment efforts.
The wildfire threat has risen sharply, with 201 wildfires burning over 2,700 acres in the past month.
Recent fires include a 500-acre blaze in Calhoun County and a 220-acre fire in Greene County.
The AFC urges residents to avoid outdoor burning until conditions improve.
For more information, visit the Alabama Forestry Commission’s website at www.forestry.alabama.gov.
