NC Forest Service warns of wildfire risk ahead of spring season

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The N.C. Forest Service (NCFS) is reminding the public to use best practices and common sense with outdoor fires ahead of the state’s spring wildfire season.

NCFS officials say escaped yard debris burns are the leading cause of wildfires across the state, often due to carelessness.

99% of wildfires are caused by human activity, officials said, often when people work in their yards in spring and burn leaves, limbs and other yard debris. Other causes of human-caused wildfires include machine and vehicle use, such as dragging tow chains, arson and escaped campfires.

“With the recent rainfall combined with multiple winter storms earlier this year, some folks may not realize that most of North Carolina is still experiencing very dry conditions,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Our state’s gradual descent into drought and prolonged dry conditions are going to lead to wildfires igniting more easily, burning more intensely and spreading quicker. The best defense against wildfires will always be to prevent them from starting.”

Officials advise contacting your local NCFS county ranger’s office before starting a fire.

Safe burning practices include the following:

• Checking local burning laws.
• Make sure you have a valid burn permit. Burn permits can be found at any NCFS office or authorized permitting agent and on NCFS’s website.
• Do not burn on dry, windy days.
• Do not pile vegetation on the ground. Instead, place it in a cleared area and contain it in a screened receptacle away from overhead branches and wires.
• Be sure you are fully prepared before burning by keeping a phone, hose, bucket, steel rake and a shovel for tossing dirt on the fire nearby.
• Never use kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel or other flammable liquids to speed up debris burning.
• Stay with your fire until it is completely out.
• Douse burning charcoal briquettes or campfires thoroughly with water. Drown all embers and when soaked, stir the coals and soak them again. Make sure everything is wet and that embers are cold to the touch. If you do not have water, mix enough dirt or sand with the embers to extinguish the fire, being careful not to bury the fire. Never dump hot ashes or coals into a wooded area.

“A fire can escape in a matter of seconds, especially on warm days when winds are gusty,” Troxler added. “This means you never leave a fire unattended until it is completely out and cold.”

NCFS officials advise never to fly a drone near, around or over a wildfire due to the serious threat to firefighting aircraft that respond to wildfires.

Smoke-sensitive individuals, including children, active people, older adults and people with heart or lung disease such as asthma, are advised to take steps to understand air quality conditions in their area.

Resources about air quality can be found on the N.C. Division of Air Quality’s website, N.C. State University’s website and AirNow’s website.

To learn more about preparing and preventing wildfires, visit here.