Federal fire management and forest service officials conducted a large prescribed burn in the Bankhead National Forest Monday, and smoke drifted across several counties and into the Birmingham metro this evening.

The Forest Service burned about 780 acres today, 6 miles east of Pebble in Winston County.

Meteorologists, including James Spann, told Birmingham area residents that upper air winds pushed the smoke south.

Prescribed burns are planned for thousands of acres across Alabama over the next several months, according to federal officials.