Burn bans are in effect across the state of Alabama. Local counties under the ban include Madison, Morgan, Jefferson, and Lawrence counties.
The parameters of the ban can be found here.
The ban prohibits property owners from burning away excess vegetation or conducting any land clearing until Oct. 31. The ban is in effect because of weather conditions during the hottest months of the year.
We met up with Captain Frank McKenzie of Huntsville Fire Department. He told us more.
He says, “With the combination of the lower humidity and the higher wind speeds, that fire can spread very fast very quickly and it can get out of control very easily, so they put burn restrictions in place to keep the public safe.”
But, if you own property in the city of Huntsville, this ban isn’t just temporary. Although, Madison County is listed, the city of Huntsville has different legal guidelines.
There is no burning, or land clearing conducted within the city limits without the possession of a permit granted by the City of Huntsville Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. The permit has to be filled out and approved in advance.
Captain McKenzie adds, “[The permits] are issued for safety reasons. You might think you can go out there and burn a small area, but with the wind speeds and things like that, it can really push a fire a lot faster than what you think you might be able to control.”
Citizens are advised to take their excess vegetation, tree limbs or other approved waste to Alabama Department of Environmental Management approved landfills, or to allow the vegetation to decompose naturally on their property.