Burn Bans

LawLert cannot confirm Alabama's live statewide status, and here is why: the Alabama Forestry Commission publishes no live statewide status page — it announces restrictions as dated press releases, and announces the end of one the same way, as a separate dated release. The most recent statewide restriction AFC has published is a Fire Alert issued April 13, 2026, which states: "This Fire Alert will remain in effect until rescinded by the State Forester, at least through Monday, April 20." That is a minimum duration, not an expiry date, and no rescission of it has been published on the Alabama Forestry Commission website as of October 1, 2026, when the alert release and the news list on the agency homepage were both re-read. Call 800-392-5679 for the current status before you burn. No Governor-declared Drought Emergency ("No Burn Order") appears in the Governor's state-of-emergency archive, re-read September 29, 2026, whose most recent entry is a February 2026 winter-weather order. Standing rule year-round: you must get a burn permit from the AFC (800-392-5679) before burning a field, grassland or woodland — burning without one is a Class B misdemeanor. Escalation ladder if conditions worsen: a Fire Danger Advisory is a request to delay burning; a FIRE ALERT (State Forester, named counties) restricts permits to Certified Prescribed Burn Managers only; a DROUGHT EMERGENCY (Governor, commonly a "No Burn Order") prohibits ALL outdoor burning including campfires, trash fires and prescribed burns — but still allows cooking on a charcoal grill, masonry barbecue pit or gas grill if you clear a 10-foot circle and keep a hose on site. National Forest land can be closed or restricted separately by the U.S. Forest Service. Restrictions are issued per county; confirm yours before burning.