HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Local agencies like Decatur Fire and Rescue and the Alabama Forestry Commision are keeping a close eye on the drought monitor. "So, we have a drought index that we look at that monitors things like drought conditions, wind, humidity, those kinds of things. and right now, those factors are off the chart," Lt. Brandon Sivley, Deputy Fire Marshal of Decatur Fire and Rescue shares.
Drought conditions like the one the states experiencing can be a magnet for fires. "Well, this is something we've kind of been noticing starting in the southwest corner of the state," Terry Ezzell, Northwest Regional Forester for the Alabama Forestry Commission shares. "It's very reminiscent of 2016 in which we had a terrible fall fire season, but actually 2016 started in the northeast corner of the state where we had fired all summer. and then it just slowly expanded in the state. Right now, not only are our fuels dry, we're seeing some very dry soil moisture ratings and that just compounds on everything to make the further drying out of vegetation happen quicker, but right now what we're really lacking is luckily the fires that we have had has not been bearing a wind event, you know, which can spread fires more rapidly. "
The Alabama Forestry Commission has issued a fire warning for Alabama. "it's just not a good time to burn," Sivley shares. "Which morgan county actually falls under the add on burn ban for the summer anyways, which runs from May 1st until October 31st. and so what that encompasses is any burning of rubbish, wood, things like that."
Which means that burn permits are not being issued. "Basically, it's fire alert and it basically limits who we give permits to do outdoor burning in Alabama," Ezzell explains. "So, what we do in a fire alert, we limit who can get those burn permits to only two people that are certified for scrap burners, which means they've been to a course on prescribed burning, and they keep continuing education and then they do x number of burns per year."
Those who choose to use flammables outside should be cautious during this period. "There's just so many factors with these conditions being as dry as they are right now," Sivley shares. "So just, you know, just be aware of your environment. be aware if you're using any type of fire related products, lighters, even just a casual outdoor fireplace or maybe a camping type fire, right now, you've got to use extreme caution."