following new ‘no burn’ order

Published Sept. 19, 1999

The drought emergency, no burn order and fire alert are serious business.

The extremely low amount of rain the county has received over the past few months has set the conditions right for numerous wildfires. Times like these are when everyone should heed the warning that has been issued, and be more responsible when doing any activities which can start fires..

The local managers of the Alabama Forestry Commission released information urging people not to burn and be especially careful when grilling outdoors. The fire alert for our area mean no fire permits will be issued and any fires that are build should be done with extreme caution.

At the time grilling is still permissible, but should be done with great caution and with a plan in place to make sure that nothing can go wrong. Ashes and coals should be disposed of carefully, and soaking them afterwards would not be a bad idea.

Until the county gets a little rain and the drought conditions are better, please think before you do anything that could be dangerous. While many times we think fire is under control or could be controlled, it can get out of hand in the blink of an eye. After all, fire is a natural force and Mother Nature is a powerful being.

We are thankful to have an agency like the forestry commission to issue orders and alerts and keep us up-to-date on drought conditions and fire hazards and we hope everyone will heed their warning. Remember, property and lives may depend on it.