BIRMINGHA, Ala. (WIAT) – A fire alert remains in place as Alabama continues to see drier weather, which has caused several wildfires to pop up around the state.

October is typically a drier month for Alabama, but experts said this year has been particularly dry and it’s creating some dangerous conditions.

Assistant Director of the Forestry Protection Division Balsie Butler said over 142 fires have started in just the last week. He said those fires burned 2,190 acres of land.

Balsie said trained professionals are having trouble getting these fires under control, so he is stressing the importance of following the fire alert during this time.

“They are starting to experience some erratic fire behavior on the fire line,” Butler said. “And if it gets away from them, they are professionals, we’ve taught them well. They have years of experience of how to do these burns. It is most definitely going to be overwhelming for a novice if they decided to start a fire and try to control it.”

The Forestry Commission said the fire situation is dire at this time and no one in Alabama should be burning during this period.

However, as of Wednesday, there were several active fires reported in the state, including a wildfire in Winston County.

Earlier this week, fire crews responded to a wildfire in Adger in Jefferson County. It was later reported as contained.

Butler said the fire alert will stay in place until Alabama receives rain.