Marion Fire & Rescue has issued an outdoor burn ban for the City of Marion, effective Thursday, March 26, until further notice, as wildfire conditions continue across the state.
The ban was issued after the Alabama Forestry Commission warned of elevated fire weather conditions through the weekend. No burn permits will be issued by Marion Fire & Rescue until the AFC advises that conditions have improved.
The ban covers all open outdoor burning, including brush piles and leaf piles. Marion Fire & Rescue noted that the only entity legally authorized to issue a burn permit within the city limits is an officer of Marion Fire & Rescue. No other city or county agency or official is permitted to issue a permit or override the permit requirements.
The local ban came as the AFC issued statewide fire restrictions for the weekend of March 27–29, including a Fire Danger Advisory on Friday that escalated to a Fire Alert on Saturday before dropping back to advisory level on Sunday. Prescribed burn permits were limited to Certified Prescribed Burn Managers only on Friday, and no permits were issued on Saturday.
Wildfire conditions across Alabama have not improved. As of Tuesday, March 31, the AFC reported a 2,500-acre wildfire burning on Pine Mountain in Shelby County, with officials continuing to urge citizens to avoid outdoor burning until drought conditions improve. An AFC map of current wildfires shows dozens of active, contained, and controlled fires scattered across the state, with heavy concentrations in west Alabama and the Black Belt.
In the seven days leading up to the restrictions, 147 wildfires had burned approximately 5,600 acres of forestland across Alabama, including a 963-acre fire in Wilcox County, a 505-acre fire in Marengo County, and a 464-acre fire in Montgomery County. Four other fires exceeding 200 acres each were reported in Choctaw, Covington, Etowah, and Walker counties.
Perry County residents are urged to postpone all open outdoor burning until conditions improve. Anyone who burns a field, grassland, or woodland without a permit may be subject to prosecution for committing a Class B misdemeanor.
To report a wildfire, call (800) 392-5679. For more information, visit www.forestry.alabama.gov.
