WRAL News is tracking several brush fires on Wednesday morning as breezy, dry conditions persist.
Before 2 a.m., WRAL News heard reports of a fire burning near N.C. 540 and High House Road. The scene cleared before the WRAL Breaking News Tracker arrived.
Outside fires were also reported along Alston Avenue in Durham.
The WRAL Breaking News Tracker was livestreaming at 5 a.m. as firefighters in Harnett County were working to put out a large outside fire on Oakridge River Road near Fuquay-Varina. Authorities said the fire has been burning since before 1 a.m.
On Tuesday morning, Apex firefighters responded to a brush fire along 1800 Old U.S. 1 Highway.
We’re currently in severe and extreme drought conditions with very little rain in the forecast.
“Our drought has been months in the making, so the ground is very dry,” WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels said. “This time of year, we tend to see lower humidity in the afternoon and we tend to see gustier winds at the same time. Those three things, combined with a warmer-than-average April, make brush and wildfires more likely.”
Water restrictions are in place in some areas, including Raleigh, and the North Carolina Forest Service has issued a burn ban until further notice. Wake County also enacted a local burn ban in alignment with the statewide burn ban in an effort to extend protections to areas within 100 feet of occupied dwellings.
The Wake County burn ban prohibits:
Burning leaves, branches or other plant materialCampfires, fire pits, outdoor fireplaces and burning barrelsFireworks and other pyrotechnics