VHFD and other fire services fighting woods fire near Cahaba River

The Vestavia Hills Fire Department was helping combat a woods fire Tuesday in a patch of forest near the Cahaba River.

Lt. Ryan Farrell said the department got the call just after 7 a.m. this morning, and have been working with the Rocky Ridge fire district, Cahaba Valley Fire and Birmingham firefighters to try to contain the fire that is currently burning over several acres.

Crews are staging at the Stewart Perry Building on Overton Road.

He said that the fire is about a mile into the woods, making it difficult for crews to get to and causing the need for ATVs to be deployed.

Alabama Forestry Commission arrived just before noon and was planning on cutting a fire barrier to help prevent the blaze from continuing to expand.

Farrell said that the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but that there is a campground in the area so it is possible that it began as a man-made fire.

Regardless of what started it, Farrell said current weather conditions make it easy for fires to start and spread.

"It's just so dry and the humidity is so low," he said, "It's just prime for a fire."