The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch This afternoon covering dozens of Alabama counties, with the threat window running from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. The watch covers Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Walker, Blount, Etowah, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Chambers, Marengo, Dallas, Autauga, Lowndes, Elmore, Montgomery, Macon, Bullock, Lee, Russell, Pike and Barbour counties.
Forecasters are expecting northeast winds of 10 to 15 mph with gusts reaching up to 30 mph. Relative humidity is projected to drop as low as 19%. The National Weather Service noted that the combination of a dry air mass and windy conditions will produce critical fire weather in Alabama, and outdoor burning is not recommended under those conditions.
A separate fire weather watch was also issued covering a northern tier of counties including Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Marshall, Jackson, DeKalb, Winston and Cullman. That watch carries similar wind and humidity projections, with gusts up to 30 mph and humidity as low as 23%.
A fire weather watch means critical conditions are possible but not yet confirmed. Residents should monitor later forecasts for potential red flag warnings, which signal that dangerous conditions have arrived.
The Alabama Forestry Commission is escalating its response
State forestry officials are not waiting for Saturday to act. The Alabama Forestry Commission issued a Fire Danger Advisory for Friday, March 27, and plans to elevate that warning to a Fire Alert on Saturday, March 28, when conditions are expected to be at their worst. If the weather improves as projected, the commission expects to step back down to a Fire Danger Advisory on Sunday, March 29.
The commission said it strongly discourages any outdoor burning until conditions improve. Prescribed burn permits on Friday will be limited to Certified Prescribed Burn Managers only. On Saturday, permits for outdoor burning will not be issued to anyone. The commission plans to resume standard permit issuance on Sunday in Alabama if the forecast holds.
Officials want residents to understand the legal dimension as well. Burning a field, grassland or woodland without a valid permit can result in prosecution for a Class B misdemeanor.
Recent weeks have already brought significant fire activity
The warning comes against a backdrop of active wildfire conditions across the state. Over the last seven days, 147 wildfires have burned approximately 5,600 acres of Alabama forestland. The largest single fire burned 963 acres in Wilcox County. A 505-acre fire burned in Marengo County, a 464-acre fire burned in Montgomery County, and four additional fires each exceeding 200 acres were recorded in Choctaw, Covington, Etowah and Walker counties.
Forestry officials said dry air combined with increased wind speed creates conditions where fires can escape control quickly, spread faster than normal and require significantly more resources to contain. Beyond property damage, fast-moving wildfires threaten the lives of residents and the firefighters working to stop them.
What residents should do
The practical guidance from officials is straightforward. Do not burn anything outdoors on Saturday. Watch for updates from the National Weather Service, and pay attention if a fire weather watch is upgraded to a red flag warning. If conditions deteriorate further, restrictions could tighten.
Anyone who spots a wildfire in Alabama can report it by calling 800-392-5679.
