The extremely dry weather has caused Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Forestry Commission to take drastic action against wildfires.

Ivey issued a statewide ‘No Burn Order.’ Wednesday, she signed a statewide Drought Emergency Declaration which prohibits all outdoor burning in Alabama. This order is effective November 9, 2023, at 8 a.m.

“Alabama is currently experiencing extremely dry conditions, which greatly increases the potential for dangerous wildfire activity. State Forester Rick Oates and his team have been working around-the-clock to keep our forests safe and fires contained, and I commend them for their efforts to protect Alabamians, our homes, and our wildlife,” said Ivey. “This declaration is meant to prevent unnecessary burning, reducing the chance of avoidable fires. I urge Alabamians to heed this warning.”

Since the statewide Fire Alert was issued on October 24, AFC firefighters have responded to 352 wildfires that have burned 3,199 acres across the state.

“These burning restrictions are a necessary result of the ongoing lack of precipitation and high probability of fuel ignition,” said Oates. “During the last month we’ve seen an increase not only in the number of wildfires, but also in the size of those fires.” Oates continued, “With this prolonged drought, conditions are such that any outdoor fire can rapidly spread out of control, taking longer – and more firefighting resources – to contain and ultimately control. Even though we are predicted to get a small amount of rain this weekend, it will not be enough to lessen the wildfire danger.”

Although we’re not expecting enough to take care of all drought conditions, we are finally seeing some real rain chances in our forecast through the weekend.

North Alabama

Increasing clouds with showers possible in the afternoon. Showers overnight with a thunderstorm possible. Low of 52. Windy with gusts up to 15 miles per hour.

Central Alabama

Mostly cloudy and breezy with a high of 77. Cloudy Thursday night with showers possible. Low of 59.

South Alabama

Fog early. Partly sunny with a high of 81. Becoming mostly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of a shower. Low of 58.

Gulf Coast

Fog in the morning, then mostly sunny with a high of 81. Becoming cloudy overnight with fog in areas. A slight chance of a shower. Low of 62.