Notice for campers: Blue Ridge Parkway lifts backcountry campfire ban

Ryley Ober, Asheville Citizen Times
·2 min read
Arnold Gutierrez, left, and Angela Foster take in the view from the Pounding Mill Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway as the sun rises on October 5, 2023.
Arnold Gutierrez, left, and Angela Foster take in the view from the Pounding Mill Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway as the sun rises on October 5, 2023.

ASHEVILLE - Campers looking to rough it out in the backcountry off the Blue Ridge Parkway can once again light a fire for warmth.

Parkway officials have lifted fire bans for backcountry campsites effective Dec. 11. The restrictions, which applied to shelters and more primitive camping areas on the parkway, have been in effect since the start of November.

The parkway first initiated the ban to “reduce the risk of human-caused wildfire during dry conditions and the increased risk for wildfires in the park,” the release stated.

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Though the restriction on backcountry campfires has been lifted, the National Park Service noted that fire danger is still high across the region despite precipitation, cooler temperatures and shorter days allowing for campfires to resume.

“Fires in developed areas must also be confined to designated fire rings and grills,” the release said. “Always attend and fully extinguish grills and campfires until cool to the touch.”

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This follows the cancelation of burn bans across Western North Carolina, including Buncombe County on Nov. 30 and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Nov. 29. The statewide burn ban was rescinded at 5 p.m. Nov. 22 for 30 WNC counties.

For fire updates, visit ncforestservice.gov/fire_control/sit_report.htm  or follow the N.C. Forest Service on Facebook at facebook.com/NCForestService.

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Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Blue Ridge Parkway lifts backcountry fire ban effective immediately