2011 Contact: Coleen Vansant
256-347-1785
Hank McKinley
205-288-3898
Terry Ezzell 205-385-2402
Safety Urged With Outdoor Burning In Tornado Damaged Areas
2:00 p.m. Gardendale – The Alabama Forestry Commission is urging everyone planning or considering outdoor burning in tornado damaged areas to wait until sufficient rainfall is received. If burning must be conducted, use all possible safety precautions. High temperatures and low humidity are drying damaged timber at a rapid rate increasing the potential for fire starts. The amount of timber on the ground as a result of the April tornadoes can contribute to rapidly spreading fires and erratic fire behavior.
Commission firefighting resources are being positioned in critical areas of the state where wildfires have prompted a fire alert, leaving some counties with minimal fire protection coverage.
Safety precautions include: obtaining a burn permit from the Alabama Forestry Commission or your local authorized municipality, having the tools and manpower available to control the fire, not burning on a windy day, postponing any burning until after significant rainfall.
For more information on the current wildfire situation and precautions you can take to protect your property from wildfire; contact the Alabama Forestry Commission office in your county, the Alabama Forestry Commission State Office, or visit our website at www.forestry.alabama.gov/fire_totals.aspx or www.forestry.alabama.gov/publications.aspx.
