Wider U.S. Wildfire Warnings

Wildfire danger has risen across parts of the East, with North Carolina still under a statewide burn ban and other states posting elevated alerts. (ncagr.gov) North Carolina’s ban took effect at 6 p.m. on March 28 and remained in place Monday, April 13. It prohibits open burning statewide, cancels burning permits, and carries a $100 fine plus $183 in court costs for violations. (ncagr.gov) The state was still logging frequent fires after the ban began. The North Carolina Forest Service said preliminary reports for April 9 showed 43 wildfires burning 51.5 acres, with 242 fires and 1,378.7 acres burned month to date. (ncagr.gov) The pattern behind the warnings is simple: dry air, low humidity, little rain and, in some places, gusty wind make grass, leaves and downed branches easier to ignite. The National Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg said minimum afternoon humidity in lower elevations was expected to run roughly 20% to 30% on April 10, with fire concerns lasting into the following week. (weather.gov) Drought has tightened across the Southeast at the same time. Drought.gov said drought developed or worsened in large parts of the Southeast in the week ending April 7, and its North Carolina page says the state’s map is updated weekly from the U.S. Drought Monitor. (drought.gov 1) (drought.gov 2) South Carolina moved in and out of formal alerts within days, which shows how quickly fire danger can change with the weather. The South Carolina Forestry Commission issued a statewide Red Flag Fire Alert on April 7, then lifted the remaining county alerts effective 6 a.m. on April 10 while warning that lack of meaningful rain and worsening drought were expected to persist through April. (scfc.gov 1) (scfc.gov 2) South Carolina officials also pointed to another fuel source in the western part of the state: storm debris left by Hurricane Helene. The Forestry Commission said those downed, drying trees can help fires start and spread and can slow firefighters trying to reach them. (scfc.gov) New Jersey’s fire agencies were also warning residents as spring fire season began. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service says the state averages about 1,100 wildfires and 5,000 burned acres a year, and the Department of Environmental Protection said on March 5 that it was sending $90,000 to 22 communities in high-risk wildland-urban interface areas, where homes and forest land meet. (dep.nj.gov 1) (dep.nj.gov 2) That mix of dry fuels, drought and development is why fire warnings are showing up far from the biggest Western fire zones. In North Carolina, the ban stays in place until further notice, and in South Carolina and New Jersey officials are still urging residents to be careful with any outdoor flame. (ncagr.gov) (scfc.gov) (dep.nj.gov)