State-issued burn ban lifted for all North Carolina counties as fire danger moderates following recent rainfall

RALEIGH – Effective at 8 a.m. Friday, May 8, the N.C. Forest Service has lifted a ban on all open burning for Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Chatham, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Stokes and Union counties.

The ban, which went into effect statewide March 28 due to hazardous forest fire conditions, was lifted for 81 other counties May 3.

“With the additional precipitation received this week, fire danger has improved for the western Piedmont, Triad and foothills,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Still, we have a long way to go with drought recovery. While drought alone isn’t a hazardous forest fire condition, it can be a stressor that contributes to fires burning longer, more intensely and being more difficult to control. Responsible, safe burning is critical all the time but especially during peak wildfire season. Pay attention to weather conditions and check fire danger before burning. Get a valid burn permit. Have a water source, shovel, rake and phone nearby. Stay with your fire until it is completely out and cold to the touch. Your N.C. Forest Service county ranger is there to help you know when and how to burn safely and in accordance with the law. Lean on those county rangers for that guidance.”

The lifting of the state’s burn ban does not apply to fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. The local fire marshal has authority to issue or lift a burn ban within those 100 feet.

As of 8 a.m. Friday, May 8, burn permits are available statewide. Residents can obtain a burn permit from any authorized permitting agent or online at https://apps.ncagr.gov/burnpermits/. All burn permits granted before the statewide burn ban were canceled when the ban became effective. To legally burn, a valid permit must be obtained.

Residents with questions regarding their specific county can contact their local N.C. Forest Service county ranger or county fire marshal’s office. To find contact information for your local NCFS county ranger, visit www.ncforestservice.gov/contacts.

To check fire danger in your area, visit https://climate.ncsu.edu/fire/. To check weather alerts for your area, use https://www.weather.gov/.

Learn more about preparing for and preventing wildfires at  www.preventwildfirenc.org.

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