JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. — Governor Robert Bentley says during a tour of a scorched area of Jefferson County that it is clear many of the fires around Alabama are caused by residents ignoring the state burn ban.

Bentley’s state of emergency issued earlier this month says 46 northern counties are under “drought emergency” and the remaining 21 southernmost counties are under “fire alert”.

A No Burn Ban is also under effect in Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Coosa, Cullman, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and Winston.

Bentley says the ban is to eliminate the possibility of sparks from bonfires, trash burning, agricultural burning, etc. from catching onto dried out vegetation nearby.

The Alabama Forestry Commission says more than 1000 wildfires have torched the state since October 1 – destroying about eleven thousand acres of land.

Bentley says during his tour he praises the Forestry Commission on the job they’ve done trying to contain the fires.