High winds and dry air are creating the perfect conditions for wildfires to spread.
The Alabama Forestry Commission is urging state residents to exercise caution while making controlled burns.
There have been 358 fires since the start of the year. One hundred forty-four of those fires have happened since last Friday.
Cole Sikes is a media specialist with the Forestry Commission. He said only the Governor can issue a general burn ban, which hasn’t happened yet.
“If it came down to it and there were drought conditions over a sustained period, we could retract burn permits. These are the reasons we try to not use the word ‘burn ban,’ because we try to stop it before we have to talk about retracting burn permits,” he said.
Sikes said that both fall and spring are both considered burn seasons. These are popular times for people to do controlled burns. Sikes also said controlled burns should only occur if wind speed is below 15 miles per hour and humidity levels above 25 percent.
Permits for burning trash or an area measuring at least a quarter-acre can be obtained from the Forestry Commission by calling 1-800-392-5679.
