Firefighters are still battling a wildfire that has burned more than 300 acres of the Talladega National Forest in Calhoun County.
So far, 319 acres of forest have burned near the Rabbittown community. Officials estimate a total of 566 acres will burn before the fire is completely stopped. A few homes are located near the edge of the fire, but fire officials say they are not in danger.
Fire officials believe someone intentionally or unintentionally started the blaze on Sunday.
“We saw a ring of rocks on the ground, and typically when you see a ring of rocks, it means someone has had a campfire. So that’s our best likely conclusion…but nothing’s conclusive,” Joe Smith with the U.S. Forest Service said.
USFS spokesman Bobby Kitchens says a crew of around 50 people are on the ground fighting the fire. He says they hope to have the fire contained in the next couple of days, but it will probably take several more days to put it out completely. Kitchens adds that this fire is not considered catastrophic, and could actually be a good thing for the national forest.
From WSFA 12 News: https://www.wsfa.com/story/23971603/wildfire-burns-300-acres-in-talladega-national-forest