Drought leads state forester to place Alabama under fire alert

As a drought continues to tighten its grip on Alabama, the state forester has placed all 67 counties under a fire alert.

During the alert, which began Friday, the Alabama Forestry Commission will restrict the number of permits it issues for outdoor burning.

"About the only permits we're going to issue are for professionals who have a lot of experience in controlling fires and have the heavy equipment and firefighting tools they need to keep a fire under control," said Coleen Vansant, public information manager for the forestry commission.

A lack of rainfall, low humidity and strong winds are the perfect recipe for large wildfires in Alabama, she said.

"We're in the same level of drought as south Georgia and north Florida where they are having all the big wildfires," Vansant said. "We're lucky in Alabama that we have not had any really big fires. We definitely have the potential for the really big fires here."

A Tennessee truck driver is credited with keeping a grass fire alongside Cox Creek Parkway in Florence on Friday from becoming a large wildfire.

Don Nettles, of Palmerdale, Tenn., was returning home after delivering a load of clay to Monarch Tile in Florence. When he noticed the fire burning beside the highway, he grabbed the truck's-fire extinguisher and attempted to squelch the flames. Each time he would almost have the blaze extinguished,

winds would rekindle the flames.

After emptying the fire extinguisher, Nettles grabbed a jug of water from the truck and continued to battle the fire until members of the Alabama Forestry Commission and Oakland Volunteer Fire Department arrived.

"I was trying hard to keep that fire from getting away. I knew if it ever got away and got into the woods, it would be gone as dry as it is," Nettles said.

Firefighters commended Nettles for confining the fire to a narrow strip for grass until they could arrive and douse all the flames.

The statewide alert will continue until there is enough rain to reduce the potential for wildfires.

The wait for rain could be a long one. Kurt Weber, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Huntsville, said no significant rain is expected in the Shoals through the coming week.

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@timesdaily.com.