Smoke wafting over from Alabama

The U.S. Forest Service has begun burning tens of thousands of acres in Alabama’s four national forests, and smoke clouds apparently drifted over the metro area Saturday. Cobb Fire Department PIO Daniel Dupree attributed residents’ smoke reports to the faraway fires.

During the next six months, forestry officials will set controlled burns on about 115,000 acres of woodland throughout our neighbor state, according to a press release.

The technique, often done in winter, improves forest habitats and reduces the risk of uncontrolled fires breaking out in hotter months.