Oak Mountain, ACIPCO fires fill Birmingham skies with smoke

Birmingham metro area residents saw two massive plumes of smoke from separate fires at Oak Mountain State Park and the ACIPCO plant off of I-65 on Monday, September 28, 2026.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries. Below are the latest updates.

Oak Mountain State Park 40-acre brush fire

On Monday morning, residents traveling on I-65 near Oak Mountain State Park saw smoke coming from the 11,000+ acre park.

According to a Facebook post from the Pelham Fire Department, a brush fire was started by a lightning strike last week within a remote area of Oak Mountain State Park.

The Pelham Fire Department contained it on Friday, September 25th, but on Monday morning of the 28th the fire crossed the containment line. As of 1PM Monday, crews had the fire contained again, but Pelham Fire expects to keep working the area for the next few days.

“The fire has grown to approximately 40 acres. Winds are beginning to subside, and crews are hopeful that increased humidity overnight will help reduce fire activity.

Approximately 40 personnel are currently working the fire. Pelham Fire Department crews are being rotated after working since approximately 6:00 a.m. Engine crews from Hoover, Alabaster, North Shelby and Chelsea are assisting, along with personnel from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Alabama Forestry Commission and Oak Mountain State Park.”

Pelham Fire Chief Mike Reid, statement on Facebook

Large plume of smoke seen in North Birmingham

If you were stuck in rush-hour traffic Monday afternoon, you probably saw it: a huge column of smoke rising over North Birmingham.

The second fire that occurred in the Birmingham metro area happened at the American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO) complex in North Birmingham off I-65.

The fire began around 3:30 in the afternoon and was extinguished by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service by 5:00PM, according to multiple media reports. The smoke rising from the incident could be seen from miles away during the late afternoon rush hour.

Below is a WBRC post showing the scene from downtown Birmingham.

The good news is that there have been no reports of injuries.

Did you see the plumes of smoke coming from Oak Mountain State Park or ACIPCO? If you took photos, feel free to share them on Bham Now social media in the comment section at @bhamnow