Randolph County was one of the last counties in the state to have a burn ban lifted earlier this month and yet there’s reason to brace for the potential for more restrictions.
“A burn ban this time of year is very unusual,” said Erik Beard, fire marshal for Randolph County Emergency Services. “It doesn’t take much rain to remove any type of burn ban because things start to green up.”
But there hasn’t been much of that this spring.
A statewide burn ban was put in place March 28. Then in early May, 81 of the 100 counties in the state had the ban lifted, but Randolph County remained under the restrictions.
Steve Troxler, the state’s agriculture commissioner, said in a news release at the time: “We need more rain in your area to lift the ban. With the persistent drought, it’s important for all of us to use extreme caution when handling potential ignition sources such as machinery and motorized equipment.”
Randolph and neighboring counties such as Chatham, Davidson, Guilford, Moore and Alamance were among the counties still under the ban until May 8.
“Fire danger has improved for the western Piedmont, Triad and foothills,” Troxler said. “Still, we have a long way to go with drought recovery. While drought alone isn’t a hazardous forest fire condition, it can be a stressor that contributes to fires burning longer, more intensely and being more difficult to control. Responsible, safe burning is critical all the time but especially during peak wildfire season.”
Beard said Randolph County follows the lead of the N.C. Forest Service, which calls for the restrictions.
“We just issue a burn ban in conjunction with what they do,” Beard said. “It becomes so complicated if we do anything other than what they do. … This drug on longer than any of us thought it would.”
The previous burn ban was well-respected within Randolph County from what Beard had observed.
“Many residents are being vigilant,” he said. “I think overall the citizens responded well to the burn ban because it is an inconvenience. I know that because I have some burning that I’ve been waiting to do.”
Residents need a permit for burning, with those granted prior to the statewide burn ban cancelled, so valid permits are required.
Randolph County’s burn ban lasted 41 days. Beard said that’s the longest such restriction he’s aware of in the county’s history.
Another burn ban could be coming because mid-May has brought more dry conditions. This week, temperatures are expected to climb into the 90s.
“The conditions are still pretty rough out there,” Beard said last week, pointing to part of the problem being “more windy days than usual.”
Low humidity during April and into May added to the concerns. Beard said high humidity can lead to more dew and moisture on the ground in mornings, and also tends to spawn rain-producing storms.
“There’s lots of factors that (the forest service) looks at,” he said.
