It’s dry, but no burn ban yet

Clay County is experiencing a moderate drought, according to the North Carolina Drought Management Council, but that’s not enough for officials to implement a burn ban.

N.C. Forest County Ranger Bob Ray said while there’s no burn ban in place at this time, if the drought gets worse that could change on a regional basis. “It’s hard to say. It almost takes an act of congress to implement a burn ban,” he said, noting that N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler is responsible for imposing burn bans.
Even with no burn ban in place, Ray encourages residents to be cautious when burning debris.

“We’ve already had a few small, 1/4 acre to 1/2 acre fires from people burning brush as normal. With normal rainfall, we usually don’t have to worry about it,” he said. “Keep a re hose nearby,” he said.

The weather is predicted to continue to be dry and warmer than usual through November and December and re season is around the corner.

Fire season normally arrives mid to end of October and sometimes into November depending on when the leaves fall, according to Ray.

The N.C. Drought Management Council encourages residents living in moderate drought conditions to minimize nonessential uses of water. Also, assess your vulnerability to the drought conditions and adjust water usage to prolong available supply.