Some relief arrived Sunday for Western North Carolina residents frustrated by weeks of fire restrictions. The N.C. Forest Service lifted its statewide open burn ban for 81 counties, including all Western North Carolina counties, effective 8 a.m. May 3. But state and local officials are urging caution: the drought that prompted the ban in the first place is not going away anytime soon.
The ban had been in effect since March 28, when hazardous forest fire conditions prompted the Forest Service to cancel nearly 18,000 burn permits statewide.
“The recent rainfall has provided some relief and has moderated fire danger enough for us to lift the ban on open burning in 81 counties,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a press release. “However, we’re still in the thick of spring wildfire season when conditions can change quickly and frequently. We still need rain to move us forward with drought recovery.”…