A large outside fire erupted off Garner Road in Raleigh around 2 a.m. Saturday, drawing a heavy response from fire crews and forcing the city to shut down a stretch of the busy corridor between Newcombe Road and Chris Street. Crews stayed on scene into the morning as authorities worked to secure the area and handle traffic headaches.
Fire response and road closure
Raleigh Fire Department crews responded to the blaze around 2 a.m., and the city closed Garner Road from Newcombe Road to Chris Street, according to WRAL. The outlet reported that investigators and firefighters were still working to pin down what sparked the fire and whether any property was damaged.
Statewide burn ban heightens risk
The N.C. Forest Service has a statewide ban on open burning in effect because of drought conditions and elevated wildfire risk, and the agency says many of the recent fire starts across the state have been human-caused, raising extra concern about outside blazes in urban corridors…..