DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews) — Certified prescribed burn managers across the Wiregrass will soon have a new way to obtain burn permits and receive important fire weather information before conducting a prescribed burn.
According to the Alabama Forestry Commission, an entirely new online burn permitting system has been developed for State of Alabama Certified Prescribed Burn Managers.
The change could affect certified burn managers throughout Houston, Dale, Henry, Geneva, Coffee and surrounding counties, where prescribed fire is used as a land and forest management tool.
Under the new system, users will first create a profile and complete a two-step verification process. Once registered, applicants can geolocate the location of a planned prescribed burn or manually enter the information, similar to the previous system.
After the required information is submitted, and as long as there are no burn restrictions in effect for the permitting area, the system will generate a burn permit number.
The permit number will be emailed to the applicant along with fire weather information for the area where the burn is planned.
The new system will also allow the Alabama Forestry Commission to use email addresses provided through user profiles to notify certified prescribed burn managers about burn restrictions across Alabama.
While certified burn managers will still be able to obtain permits by telephone for now, the commission said it plans to phase out phone-issued burn permits within the next 12 months.
The Alabama Forestry Commission is encouraging certified prescribed burn managers to begin using the online system. Moving more permits online is expected to allow dispatchers to spend more time handling emergency response and wildfire suppression activities.
The new online burn permitting website is expected to be available soon through the Alabama Forestry Commission’s homepage.
The announcement applies specifically to State of Alabama Certified Prescribed Burn Managers and the new permitting system for prescribed burns.
