English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Birmingham, AL

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

As crews continue to work to put the fire out Friday, at least 18 people don't have a home in the Five Points South neighborhood.

Latest updates from fire:

What we know

Fire crews started responding to the fire around 5:30 a.m. at a vacant business on 20th Street South. It then spread to two apartment and condominium buildings.

The wood frame building, which had originally been a house, became fully engulfed in intense flames and the roof collapsed.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue said the fire spread to a brick apartment and condominium buildings on either side. A total of three buildings have been involved.

Within a couple of hours, one of the brick buildings where the fire had spread went back up in flames and became fully engulfed. Later flames spread in the other brick building.

Listen to a fire official below discuss the toxic smoke.

ATF is at the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Helping those affected

There were people inside the apartments and condominium who were evacuated safely when the fire began, according to a fire department official.

There were no reports of any injuries. At least 18 people have been displaced.

A look at American Red Cross at the scene.

Response from Birmingham

Council leadership and Councilor Crystal Smitherman, who represents the district, released a joint statement Friday morning.

"Like many others, we saw the massive plume of smoke early this morning coming from Southside. First, we’d like to thank the Birmingham Fire Department for their quick action and efforts to prevent the spread of this fire that engulfed several structures on historic Cobb Lane, some of which are still actively burning.

"As of this moment, we do not believe anyone was injured in this fire and that is a blessing and a testament to our first responders.

"Our city’s emergency services exemplify the best of public service, and we owe them a great debt of thanks. Our offices will continue to work closely with city officials and the affected residents to assess the damage, support recovery efforts and explore every possible avenue to restore one of our iconic cobblestone streets."

It’s almost Halloween! That means it’s time to get the kids dressed up and prepare for some fun trick-or-treating.

Since Halloween falls on a Friday, parents won’t have to worry about getting kids to school the next morning.

But when can neighborhoods expect trick-or-treaters at their doors?

In Alabama, sunset will be at 5:55 p.m., so make sure to get those Halloween costumes ready and have an early dinner, leaving plenty of room for sweet treats!

Some cities have specific times for trick-or-treaters to collect candy. Check the list below to find out if your city has designated hours.

Dothan: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. (inside city limits)

Enterprise: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (inside city limits)

Ozark: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (in downtown Ozark Square)

Hartford: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (inside city limits)

Abbeville: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (in downtown Abbeville)

Ashford: 5:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. (inside city limits)

Slocomb: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. (inside city limits)

Geneva: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. (inside city limits)

City officials encourage residents to follow general safety measures while celebrating Halloween, such as wearing reflective clothing, using reflective tape or carrying a flashlight, and watch out for an increased number of pedestrians on sidewalks and crossing streets.

When it comes to the weather, be prepared for a chilly Halloween night.

Lows on Friday will range from the upper 30s across most of Alabama. Mobile will be in the low 40s. You can see the full weather forecast here.

With three new members casting their first votes after being sworn into office, the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved more than $1.2 million in funding to 12 neighborhood-based non-profits and for-profit businesses.

The funding was part of the city’s BOLD program, Building Opportunities for Lasting Development, aimed at supporting organizations and agencies offering creative solutions for community challenges.

“It’s truly inspiring to see our local organizations and small businesses driving growth and creating opportunity across Birmingham,” said Mayor Randall Woodfin. “By dedicating resources to these committed partners, we are investing directly into the heartbeat of our community, and ensuring a stronger, more prosperous future for every resident.

Funding was allocated across five categories:

The majority of awardees are neighborhood-based or focused. These projects collectively align with all BOLD objectives, showcasing a strong commitment to community development.

Here are each of the organizations’ plans for moving forward along with award amounts:

“The BOLD funding program is more than just a grant,” said Coreata Houser, interim director of the Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity. “It’s a foundational investment strategy.”

Since the funding program began, it has distributed $5.4 million to 57 organizations.

The council meeting was the first for new members Sonja Smith, Brian Gunn and Josh Vasa, who were sworn in on Tuesday. Wardine Alexander was elected council president, with Darrell O’Quinn handing the gavel back two years after he took it over from Alexander. LaTonya Tate was elected president pro tem after all nine members were sworn in.

“Wardine is definitely experienced,” Smith said after the meeting. “I think she’s a great person to lead us new councillors.”

Activities abound throughout Birmingham in the days leading to the Magic City Classic football matchup at Legion Field.

While the game between Alabama State and Alabama A&M Universities brings thousands to the stadium on Saturday, activities taking place throughout the city extend well beyond a sports showdown to coalesce as a week-long carnival of food, culture and music.

“This is 84 years of something that is tested and tried and proven to be a success,” Mayor Randall Woodin said during a press event with organizers Wednesday.

Woodfin the impact of the Classic lasts longer than the annual event itself with the support it provides for education. He called it an investment in the next generation.

“Beyond the parade and beyond the gridiron what all of that means for bragging rights for one year up until the next game, this tradition goes deeper,” Woodfin said. “What we do today sets us up for what we do for the next generation.”

What to expect

The Magic City Classic parade downtown begins Saturday at 8 a.m. featuring bands, students and participants from around the region. The game then begins at 2:30 p.m.

There’s still plenty of time to take advantage of activities both paid and free:

Gates open at 3 p.m., with the preshow at 5 p.m. and the main event at 6 p.m.

The outside lane to eastbound traffic of Graymont Avenue is to be closed. Concrete barricades will close roads leading to Graymont Ave. from 3rd St. West to 6th St. West. Also, concrete barricades will be moved to close roads leading to 8th Ave. West from 3rd Ave W to 7th Ave. West.

By Friday at 11 p.m. no parking will be allowed on streets that are part of the parade route. Vehicles found parked on the parade after 11 p.m. will be towed. The city will close neighboring streets leading to Legion Field on Saturday morning beginning at 6 a.m.

Among the vehicles are “Ella Mae” Mayor Woodfin’s 1968 Cadillac Eldorado. Food trucks will be on site along with live performances from Logan the Entertainer and Sherri Brown.

The superintendent of Birmingham City Schools received high marks in an annual evaluation of his performance from the city board of education.

Board members Thursday said Mark Sullivan met expectations in an evaluation that was heavily tied to student performance and the health of the overall school system. Sullivan received an overall score of 3.3 on a 4-point scale.

“There’s no denying that we have seen real progress in our schools under Dr. Sullivan’s leadership,” board president Jason Meadows said. “Our students’ academic growth has been cited at the state and national level, and this evaluation reflects our confidence that we are absolutely moving in the right direction.”

Objective measurements of Sullivan’s performance, which accounted for 70% of the score, included progress tied to the system’s strategic plan, including academic achievement, student well-being, staff effectiveness, customer service and district accountability.

Subjective measures in areas that included leadership and community relations accounted for the remaining 30% of the evaluation.

The evaluation was led by board member Mary Boehm, chair of the superintendent’s evaluation committee.

Sullivan said he and the board share the same goals for the school system.

“We want to make sure all students can reach their full potential and achieve their dreams,” he said. “I appreciate the board’s confidence that we are heading in the right direction, and I am going to keep working as hard as I can to achieve the results we all want to see – not so that I can get good evaluations, but for the benefit of the students we serve.”

Multiple Birmingham schools recorded improvements in test scores across several subjects in 2025.

Scores in the district are far from perfect, but Birmingham has seen some growth while many other districts have struggled to recover from pandemic-era declines, according to a recent AL.com analysis.

Sullivan himself is a graduate of Birmingham City Schools who then worked in the system as a teacher and principal. He has served as superintendent since 2020 and has worked in the system for more than 25 years.

The school system has about 19,200 students.