Burn ban expanded to 16 more counties as WNC wildfires continue, little rain in forecast
As drought conditions and fires continue to burn throughout Western North Carolina, the N.C. Forest Service has expanded a ban of open burning and canceled burning permits to 16 counties effective Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. until further notice.
The counties affected are Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Catawba, Haywood, Iredell, Lincoln, Madison, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey.
Fourteen counties were already under a burn ban that was established Nov. 5: Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain and Transylvania.
In a news release announcing the ban, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said expanding the ban was a “necessary precaution.”
“We keep a close eye on weather, fire danger and fuel conditions, especially this time of year,” Troxler said in the release. “We’re making daily assessments and the burn ban will be expanded into Piedmont counties and further east if needed.”
According to a map form the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of the region are classified as under severe and moderate drought.
More: Where are the wildfires in WNC? Here's a map.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Doug Outlaw said drought conditions are expected to get “progressively worse” until rain comes.
“We’re not going to get much rain on Friday and through the weekend,” Outlaw said. “Maybe a quarter of an inch, only sprinkles basically on Friday night and Sunday.”
Outlaw said Hendersonville and Edneyville, where a fire near Poplar Drive is burning, will receive even less rain.
The Western North Carolina region remains under Code Orange and Code Red alerts as smoke from ongoing wildfires continue to spread, according to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
Four major fires have burned in the past week in Western North Carolina. The Collett Ridge fire in Andrews has burned 3,918 acres and is at 0% containment. In Henderson County, the Poplar Drive fire has burned 431 acres and is at 15% containment. A Cascade Lake Road fire in DuPont State Recreational Forest has burned 36 acres and is 60% contained. In Jackson County, the East Fork fire has burned 310 acres and is 50% contained.
More: Nantahala and Pisgah national forests ban campfires; WNC wildfires burn 7.5 square miles
According to the N.C. Forest Service release, a ban on open burning prohibits burning leaves, branches and other plant materials. The burning of trash, lumber, tires, newspapers, plastics and other “nonvegetative material” is illegal in all cases.
Campfires are included in the burn ban and should not be used until the ban is lifted. Grills can still be used under an open burning ban provided there are no other local ordinances against it.
The N.C. Forest Service’s burn ban does not apply to fire within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling, according to the release. Instead, local government agencies have jurisdiction over these fires, and the N.C. Forest Service has advised county officials of its ban. Buncombe County has issued an emergency burn ban that prohibits burning of any kind, including fire pits and torches, regardless of the distance to an occupied dwelling.
If someone needs to report a wildfire, they should call 911, according to the release.
Under the burn ban, anyone caught violating the ban will face a $100 fine in addition to $183 in court costs. If an individual is found responsible for setting a fire, they may be held responsible for the expenses related to extinguishing the fire.
More: Answer Man: Is Asheville at increased wildfire risk? How can we protect our homes?
Karrigan Monk is the Swannanoa Valley communities reporter for Black Mountain News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kmonk@blackmountainnews,com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Burn ban expanded amid WNC wildfires, little rain forecast for weekend
