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NORTHEAST ALABAMA COUNTIES PLACED UNDER FIRE ALERT
Officials with the Alabama Forestry Commission placed 12 Alabama counties under a fire alert effective at 1:00 p.m. today. State Forester Timothy C. Boyce placed Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Marshall, Randolph Talladega and St. Clair counties under the fire alert because of the current weather situation in the northeast area of the state. An extended dry period has caused the potential for an unmanageable increase in the number of wildfires which leads to the individual fires becoming larger than normally expected for this time of year, according to officials with the Forestry Commission. Under a fire alert, outdoor burning permits are restricted. Since the start of the fiscal year Oct. 1, 2001 the Alabama Forestry Commission's northeast administrative region (includes Blount Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Madison, Marshall,Randolph, St. Clair, Talladega, and Tallapoosa counties) has had 193 fires for a total of 2,423.8 acres burned. This is more than one half of the total acres burned statewide which is 4,816 acres and 528 fires. Since Nov. 1, 111 fires have occurred in the northeast region of the state for a total of 1,917.9 acres. The fire alert will remain in effect until enough rainfall is received in the area to lessen the potential for wildfire
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