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ADGER, Alabama — A 45-year-old Adger man, Kevin Keef, was arrested today by the Alabama Forestry Commission today on a misdemeanor offense of burning without taking necessary safety precautions, said commission spokeswoman Coleen Vansant.

It was that burning that sparked a wildfire that Vansant said has scorched more than 1,000 acres in west Jefferson County and will likely burn for several more days.

The wildfire was first reported Saturday afternoon in an area close to Valley Ford Road near the Adger community.
 
Vansant said the fire was contained this afternoon before growing out of control for several hours and forcing authorities to evacuate the surface workers at a nearby Jim Walters’ mine.
 
“The wind picked up, the humidity dropped … the weather is against us; the fuel is against us,” Vansant said.
 
The fuel Vansant spoke of is the many downed trees in the area left in the wake of the April 27 tornado outbreak.
 
Forestry officials have warned that burning the debris from that storm could spark wildfires, but it was not known if Keef was burning storm debris.
 
“I just know that he was burning,” Vansant said. “There’s still an investigation going on.”
 
No one had been injured as of Monday night and no structures had been damaged, although the fire had “endangered several homes and structures north of Hueytown,” according to a commission statement.
 
Several residents voluntarily left the area, but Vansant said evacuations have not been necessary.
 
“If it gets to the point that homes are threatened, that may change,” Vansant said. “Our first priorities are always to protect life and property.”
 
The commission is spearheading the effort with assistance from several area volunteer fire departments. Teams from Coosa, Cullman, St. Clair and Walker counties have been called in to assist Jefferson County firefighters, according to a commission press release.

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