Fire hazard

Virginia Sledge misses being able to relax around a campfire while she and her husband Robert camp at McFarland Park.

"It's nice to sit around a fire at night when you go camping. But we can understand why they won't let us have one," she said.

Alabama Forestry Commission and state Fire Marshal's officials have banned outdoor burning, including campfires, in north Alabama as the region struggles through one of the worst droughts ever.

"The grass is dead. Everything is so dry, it wouldn't take much to cause a really big fire," said Sledge, of Florence.

"You get a big fire going now and you're not going to put it out very easily. It would just burn and burn," her husband said.

The ban on open fires for campers includes using candles or torches for light.

Lanterns that use an enclosed flame are allowed. For cooking, campers can use barbecue grills or gas-fueled stoves.

Robert Sledge said the ban on using campfires for cooking has not caused any difficulties for him and his wife. They use barbecue grills or eat at restaurants.

Another camper at McFarland Park, Candice Nearn of Florence, detests the ban.

"When you go camping, you're supposed to have a campfire," Nearn said. "If you control a fire and don't walk off and leave it, it's not going to cause any problems."

Matt Bruce, of Alabama Outdoors in Florence, said he has heard no campers in the store lamenting the campfire ban. "I think everyone pretty much accepts it because it's so dry."

Rainfall in the Shoals is more than 17 inches below normal for the year.

In addition to banning campfires, the U.S. Forest Service has banned fireworks on all federal property in Alabama's national forests.

Roadside signs in Bankhead National Forest in Winston and Lawrence counties warn visitors of the fire danger and the ban on campfires.

National Forests in Alabama spokeswoman Mary Gaines said forest users have heeded the call for help in preventing forest fires.

"Our wildfire numbers have really gone down since May 22 when we closed the forests to open fires, Gaines said. "We are thankful to forest users for complying with the order."

Open fires are allowed in Bankhead National Forest at developed recreation area with campsites that have approved fire rings.

Although Alabama officials relaxed restrictions on fire works early this week to allow backyard pyrotechnics shows using ground-level fireworks, the rule does not apply to national forest lands, Gaines said.

"Absolutely no fireworks of any kind are allowed on federal land in any national forest in Alabama," she said.

Although smoking has not been banned in the national forests, Gaines said smokers should be extremely careful to avoid sparking a blaze.

Low water levels in some creeks are causing canoers and kayakers to have to drag their boats over gravel bars at times.

Water levels in the Bear Creek lakes of Franklin County are below normal because of the drought, but are not causing any problems for boaters.

Water levels on Tennessee River lakes are near normal levels. The Tennessee Valley Authority has reduced water releases from its dams to help preserve lake levels. Some anglers complain the reduced flows have hampered fishing on the lakes.

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