NC wildfires surge

NC has been hit with more wildfires this year than in normal years. The unusually dry months have created dangerous conditions that set the stage for fires from tossed cigarettes, lightning and other causes.

News & Observer
September 12, 2007
From Staff Reports

More wildfires blaze this year

North Carolina has been hit with more than 5,400 wildfires this year -- before the typical start of the fall wildfire season, state officials say.

The worsening drought has dried out pine straw and other forest fuels, increasing the fire danger. So far, 30,700 acres have burned statewide, state officials say.

In a typical year, the state has 4,931 wildfires burning 20,008 acres, according to the state Division of Forest Resources.

On Tuesday, winds between 15 mph and 20 mph helped the spread of several large wildfires. A 200-acre fire ravaged fields and threatened homes in the Orange County community of Hebron, after a corn combine caught fire. And a 50-acre blaze broke out near the Highcroft subdivision in Cary.

Earlier this summer, more than 150 wildfires burned nearly 2,915 acres in Robeson County. The Fayettevlle Observer reported that burning debris and arson were responsible for two-thirds of the fires.

Typically, most wildfires start in mid-September.

Because of the danger, the state has banned open burning, regardless of whether a permit has been issued.

That means all open burning is prohibited 100 feet or more from homes. Many counties also prohibit burning within 100 feet of homes.

Also, the state has banned campfires at public campgrounds, except for those in in metal-sided fire rings. The U.S. Forest Service is prohibiting all fires in the backcountry.

Violators face state fines of $100 as well as local penalties. Original article...