The North Carolina Forest Service lifted the statewide burn ban on Sunday for 81 counties, including Orange, Durham and Wake.
The burn ban is still in effect for 19 counties to the west of the Triangle, including Chatham and Alamance. The statewide ban was triggered on March 28 due to the ongoing drought creating hazardous forest fire conditions across the state.
“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, improving soil moisture and water levels.”…