10/03/2026
🚨 **Cherokee Fire Incident Update**
It has been a very busy week for Cherokee Fire. Homecoming festivities, combined with an increase in emergency calls, made for an especially active Thursday and Friday.
Shortly after the Homecoming Parade this afternoon, Cherokee Fire was dispatched to the 6000 block of Buddy Durham Road for a reported field fire. Upon arrival, crews confirmed that a large sage grass field was actively burning. It was initially estimated that approximately 6 acres had already burned. Due to the extremely dry conditions and higher-than-normal wind gusts, the fire was spreading rapidly.
Additional resources were requested from **Riverton Rose Trail Fire Department, Barton Volunteer Fire Department, INC., and the Alabama Forestry Commission, along with **Snowdown/Pleasant Hill, Carters Branch, and Midway Volunteer Fire Departments in Tishomingo County, Mississippi**.
Because of the rapid progression of the fire, our fire attack strategy shifted from an offensive operation to a defensive operation. This decision was made to prevent the fire from crossing the roadway and to protect a nearby home that was directly in the path of the advancing fire.
Within minutes, the fire had grown from an estimated 6 acres to approximately 50 acres. The defensive strategy proved effective, and crews were able to stop the fire within feet of the threatened structure. A passing rain shower also provided valuable assistance in slowing the fire's progression.
The fire was reportedly started by a brush fire that had been lit on the north end of the field. The combination of extremely dry vegetation and windy conditions contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
**Cherokee Fire would like to extend our sincere appreciation to every agency that provided mutual aid and assistance today.** The coordinated response and additional resources were instrumental in preventing what could have been a much more serious impact on the surrounding homeowners and property.
# # # ⚠️ Burn Ban & Outdoor Burning Reminder
The **Town of Cherokee and Cherokee Police Jurisdiction remain under a burn ban.** Outdoor burning is prohibited within these areas until the burn ban is lifted.
Residents **outside the Town Limits and Cherokee Police Jurisdiction are not currently under this local burn ban.** However, given the extremely dry conditions across our area, **Cherokee Fire strongly discourages all outdoor burning until we receive significant rainfall.**
Cherokee Fire does not have jurisdiction to enforce a local burn ban outside the Town Limits and Police Jurisdiction. However, residents should understand that even where burning is not prohibited by a local burn ban, **you may still be held responsible for damages or losses to another property owner if a fire you start escapes your control and causes damage to their property.**
Western Colbert County has received only approximately **0.23 inches of rainfall since early September**. Combined with the prolonged extreme heat, much of the ground vegetation has dried out and either dead or near dormancy, creating hazardous fire conditions across our area.
Please do your part to help us prevent avoidable fires. **If you do not have to burn, please don't.** Waiting until we receive significant rainfall can help prevent a small fire from becoming a large-scale emergency.
Thankfully, at the end of the day, **everyone went home safely, and no homes or vehicles were lost.**
**Cherokee Fire Department**
