An ongoing drought in the state has led the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) to issue fire danger advisories to 22 counties, with many of them being in the Black Belt region.
These counties are: Baldwin, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Crenshaw, Conecuh, Covington, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Limestone, Lowndes, Jackson, Madison, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Pickens, Sumter, and Washington.
“Dead pine trees from last year’s drought and the resulting southern pine beetle outbreak this year are contributing to fire intensity, which challenges containment efforts and presents additional hazards to firefighters,” said AFC Fire Analyst Ethan Barrett on social media.
“This weather pattern featuring above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation is predicted for the next few weeks, allowing for worsening drought impacts and a likely increase in wildfires until more frequent rain returns.”
An online post by AFC said that in the past 30 days, 201 wildfires have burned approximately 2,738 acres. 220 acres have been burned in Greene County.
No burn restrictions have been issued by AFC but residents are advised to restrain from burning anything outdoors until conditions improve.
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