SEE LATEST UPDATE HERE: http://www.cullmansense.com/articles/2016/10/07/update-2-wildfire-southwest-cullman-county-growing-stronger-has-crossed-co-road
Update: 11:25 a.m. Forestry officers from Blount County and firefighters from Vinemont-Providence have now been called in to assist. Another bulldozer is being summoned to help clear brush, as the fire keeps jumping the burn line. At this time, there are anywhere from 30-40 firefighters on scene.
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ARKADELPHIA – The wildfire in southwest Cullman County that started Thursday afternoon is still burning, with multiple agencies still on scene. The fire began in the vicinity of County Roads 35 and 8 and spread south from there, now affecting 500 to 600 acres.
Crews from Logan and Arkadelphia, along with members of the Alabama Forestry Commission, are actively engaged at the time of this report. A call has just gone out for any available firefighters in the area to respond. The chief on scene has also requested assistance from Walker and Blount Counties, according to dispatch. Good Hope has responded. Dodge City, Cold Springs, Bremen, Crane Hill and Loretto have just been called in.
The blaze has been going for about 18 hours at this point. Last night, crews were working tirelessly to create burn lines around the fire in an effort to contain it. The area where this is happening is heavily wooded, so four bulldozers were brought in to clear makeshift roadways for easier access to the flames and to allow for the creation of the burn lines.
Fire trucks lined County Road 35 last night, with firefighters battling to keep the fire from jumping the roadway.
"Some of the treetops were on fire, some 50 feet up," said Bethsadia Volunteer Fire Department Chief Maurice Reynolds. "Just one little ember or falling leaves can come down and be blown 200 yards. The ones lined up on 35 were keeping those spots put out."
Crews first responded approximately at 3 p.m. yesterday. At one point late last night, firefighters from Colony, Garden City, Cold Springs, Dodge City, Bremen, Crane Hill and Bethsadia were also on scene.
Reynolds says that the little bit of moisture in the air last night and the lower temperatures dampened the fire, but that it is picking back up now with the sun up and the temperatures quickly rising.
When asked how this fire is going to be extinguished, he responded, "I don't think there's a way you can put it out. It will probably have to burn itself out." The hope is that by surrounding the blaze with burn lines, the fire will starve and eventually die out on its own.
"The good thing is that there aren't any houses on that side of (County Road) 35," he said.
This is a developing story.
Background: http://www.cullmansense.com/articles/2016/10/06/multiple-agencies-fighting-raging-wildfire-southwest-cullman-county
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