BIRMINGHAM, AlabamaWBRC) – The Alabama Forestry Commission has issued a fire hazard advisory for all Alabama counties.

The advisory will remain in effect until we receive enough rain to improve drought conditions.

Shelby County Forester Dave Holley said this is not a burning ban, but a recommendation not to burn during this time due to the dry conditions we are experiencing.

Foresters say that during this time, think twice before lighting a fire.

“You want to make sure the leaves are raked or mowed. If you have leaves on your roof or pine straw in your gutters, things that can bring the wildfire to your house,” Holley said.

Holley says certain fuels can cause a wildfire to start and spread.

“We’ve had a lot of beetle die-offs this year, the pine beetles have been infesting a lot, so there’s a lot of dead wood, but the biggest thing is leaf fall this year,” Holley said.

And open or unattended fires are not recommended during this period. “A barbecue or fire contained in a barrel or something like that maybe, but it’s not something you want to leave unattended in dry conditions,” Holley said.

Holley says in the last 30 days alone, 246 wildfires have burned nearly 3,000 acres.

Fire safety tips can be found here.

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