CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Fire weather season has arrived in the Carolinas as autumn leaves continue to litter the ground. With drier weather in the forecast, this annual fall fire season could be enhanced.
“Based on the amount of precipitation we have received or not received in the past couple of months... There have been predictions that we’re tracking similar to what we experienced in 2016, which we did have an extreme fall fire season that year," Beth Plummer, a forester with the North Carolina Forest Service, explained.
Plummer credits an enhanced fire risk to "factors such as increased population, development, urbanization, increasing areas of homes intersecting with natural areas, which is what we call Wildland Urban Interface."
A North Carolina Forest Service fire summary shows more than 18,000 acres have burned year to date.
The typical fire weather season stretches from October through November – and again in the spring from March through May.
Plummer says two of the top causes of wildfires in the Carolinas are caused by humans.
Careless debris burning
Farming equipment and machines
"We have less land to grow than needed for agriculture products, so that can result in more harvesting when it is dry, when it might not be ideal to harvest," she said. "So, that results in equipment or machines starting fires."
At home, she recommends burning responsibly with the use of a designated fire pit with a hose and shovel nearby. In addition, monitor your fire closely.
Avoid outdoor burning when weather conditions, such as wind and low humidity, are ideal conditions for fires to spread.
Contact KJ Jacobs at kjacobs3@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.