A 265-acre wildfire near the Hale County and Tuscaloosa County line has been fully contained after burning through national forest land near Duncanville over the weekend, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The South Sandy wildfire broke out at the South Sandy Shooting Range, approximately four miles southwest of Duncanville, and was first reported over the weekend. The fire was 25 percent contained as of 10:00 a.m. Monday, March 23, and had grown to 50 percent containment by 4:00 p.m. that afternoon.
The Forest Service announced Tuesday that the fire reached 100 percent containment and held at 265 acres, down from an initial estimate of 290 acres. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Officials closed the South Sandy Shooting Range while firefighters worked to contain the blaze. The closure will be lifted at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, March 25, the Forest Service said.
Forest Service crews conducted strategic burnout operations to gain further containment and have been mopping up and patrolling the fire line. Residents in the South Sandy Creek and Duncanville areas may notice residual smoke for several days, the agency said.
The South Sandy fire was one of nine large wildfires across Alabama over the weekend, according to the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC). The AFC responded to fires in 10 counties totaling nearly 1,940 acres, including:
- a 578-acre fire in Wilcox County,
- a 289-acre fire in Covington County, and
- a 265-acre fire in Choctaw County.
All nine fires are now reported as contained or controlled, and AFC personnel are continuing to monitor the affected areas.
Anyone with questions about the South Sandy fire may contact the Oakmulgee Ranger District at (205) 926-9765.
