Firefighters continue fighting a large wildfire in Talladega County, and officials say they are having a difficult time due to rough terrain.
The fire, known as the "Concord Fire," covers 1,400 acres. It was first discovered on November 16 near Renfroe Road between Logan Martin Lake and the city of Talladega. The fire entered containment status on Monday but was moved back to "Priority One" status early Tuesday morning.
"The area is steep and rocky, a bit mountainous," Mollie Erwin with the Alabama Forestry Commission told 1819 News. "It's hard for firefighters to get to or even see. They said the terrain is posing difficulties, which makes it hard to operate a bulldozer on."
The U.S. Forest Service has joined the Unified Command to get the fire to 100% containment. Multiple units have been deployed to the site.
The Talladega County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is working with other agencies to ensure unified operations are in place to address the fire. They are asking people to avoid the area if possible. If travel is necessary, they ask drivers to exercise extreme caution.
Talladega County is one of several Alabama counties that remain under a fire danger advisory due to drought. The Alabama Forestry Commission issued the statewide advisory earlier this fall and has only rescinded the advisory for 21 counties after some rainfall. The counties that are no longer in the advisory area are Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Pickens, St. Clair, Walker and Winston. People in all other counties are urged to refrain from burning until the fire danger is diminished.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every day or become a member to gain access to exclusive content and 1819 News merch.
