The National Park Service requests people to choose an alternate route away from Highway 35 from 10 AM this morning for approximately 2 hours. The road will be closed from the Little River Falls (Alabama Highway 176) area to Blanche (Alabama Highway 273) for fire crews to work the area and heavy smoke is expected.

For the duration of the fire, smoke is expected in the area and people should drive with their headlights on, using caution and driving slowly.

The park requests that people avoid the area. Little River Canyon National Preserve and multiple teams from other agencies are currently combating a wildfire that has consumed several hundreds of acres in the Martha’s Falls and County Road 861 area south of Alabama Highway 35. Air tanker drops, helicopter drops and Alabama Forestry Commission bulldozers are assisting the fire teams. The National Park Service team from Natchez Trace is also in route to assist. There may be smoke on the roads and emergency vehicle traffic nearby.

For more information, call Larry Beane at 256 845-9605 extension 205 or 256 504-4841.