Jump to content

2026 Alabama wildfires

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2026 Alabama wildfires
Statistics[1]
Total fires2,000
Total area29,116.31 acres (11,782.95 ha; 45.49423 sq mi)

A series of wildfires are burning throughout the U.S. state of Alabama. As of May 4, a total of 2,000 fires have burned 29,116.31 acres (11,782.95 ha).[1]

Background

[edit]

A typical fire season in Alabama peaks in mid-August and lasts about thirty weeks in all,[2] but there are two main seasons, February–May and October–December.[3] Most preventative prescribed burns occur from late fall to early spring.[4] On average, every year there are roughly 4,000 wildfires that burn around 40,000 acres (16,000 ha) with debris burning and arson being some of the leading causes.[5] In North Alabama, steep and complicated terrain and hardwood forests impact fire spread and suppression efforts. In Central Alabama, the Piedmont plateau and the Upper Coastal Plain have tree plantations and transitional hardwood trees are often the location of routine ignitions, with conditions significantly worsened during drought. In South Alabama, longleaf pine coupled with flat terrain and sandy soil can increase the spread rate of wildfires.[3]

List of wildfires

[edit]

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), produced significant structural damage, or resulted in casualties.

Name County Acres Start date Containment date[a] Notes Ref.
Burgess East Clay 1,020 March 21 March 23 Human-caused. Burned 5 miles (8.0 km) east-northeast of Chandler Springs. [7][8]
Hall Thompson Lane Shelby 2,500 March 27 April 13 Undetermined cause. Burned 19 miles (31 km) north of Westover. [9]
Williams Creek Perry, Chilton 1,650 April 4 April 15 Human caused. Burned 14 miles (23 km) southeast of Centreville. [10][11]
Rafey Mobile 1,810 April 11 April 30 Undetermined cause. Burned 33 miles (53 km) north of Citronelle. [12]
Map
Perimeters of 2026 Alabama wildfires (map data)

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "Fire totals". forestry.alabama.gov. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Forest Fires in Alabama, United States". www.globalforestwatch.org. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Elmore, Randy. "Wildland Fire Resources in Alabama". www.blazestack.com. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Prescribed Fire: The Misunderstood Habitat Management Tool". www.eregulations.com. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  5. ↑ Gramley, Malcolm. "Fire in the South" (PDF). forestry.alabama.gov. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  6. ↑ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Burgess East Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Burgess East Fire". www.mapofire.com. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Hall Thompson Lane - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Williams Creek Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Williams Creek - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.montgomeryadvertiser.com. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  12. ↑ "RAFEY - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2026_Alabama_wildfires&oldid=1365033428"