By Alison McFerrin

The Selma Times-Journal

Recent rainfall will not affect the burn ban that was put in place June 7.

“We’re going to have to leave it in effect for right now,” Alabama Forestry Commission’s forest operations division director Dan Jackson said. “We have to be very careful about lifting it.”

Jackson said although some portions of the state may have received enough rain to lift the ban, many areas are still experiencing severe rainfall shortage, as much as four inches.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor at http://www.drought.unl.edu, 55 percent of Alabama is still experiencing moderate to exceptional drought, with another 41 percent experiencing abnormally dry conditions.

The majority of Dallas County is facing moderate drought, although the southernmost portion is in severe drought. Perry County is split between abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions.

“We’re still way behind on our rainfall and still in a drought situation,” Selma Fire Department Chief Mike Stokes said. “We really need a slow rain for a long period of time to actually help.”

Although Stokes said there have been a few fires, he has not faced anything abnormally problematic.

“It appears most of our residents of Selma and Dallas County are adhering to the ban,” Stokes said.

Although the burn ban prohibits anyone from setting outdoor fires like campfires or burning trash, it does not exclude the use of fireworks.

“We up our readiness a little bit anyway with the Fourth of July,” Jackson said. “We would ask that, if they’re going to shoot fireworks, they be very careful about it and take some precautions and things like that.”

Fireworks are not allowed within the city limits of Selma, Stokes said, but he encouraged everyone to come out to the fireworks show organized by the city of Selma, the Dallas County Commission and the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce.

“We would encourage everybody … to come out and enjoy those in a safe environment, in a controlled environment,” Stokes said.

Stokes said they will be soaking the ground at Bloch Park as well as stationing fire officials at the show to be prepared for any possible risk. Fireworks are also not allowed in any of Alabama’s National Forests.

Jackson said the burn ban will remain in effect until the Forestry Commission determines, from a variety of sources, that the danger is past.

“We have no set formula for how we evaluate this,” Jackson said. “We just have to look at the state as a whole and look at it from a bigger picture.”

Jackson said they take into consideration the number of fires in the states and how fast they are spreading, as well as information from the National Weather Service and input from officials in each county.