Tradesha Woodard for WCNC
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Just days after winter weather gripped North Carolina, state forestry officials are warning of increased wildfire risks across the state, with western regions facing immediate concern.
“No one is out of the woods yet,” Erica Smithwick of the Penn State Climate Consortium, who has spent her career studying wildfires, said. “We’re seeing these wildfires becoming more extreme, they’re hotter, they’re moving faster, and they’re causing more damage.”
The North Carolina Forest Service says fire danger will spread eastward across the state over the next week. Officials are urging residents to exercise caution with any outdoor burning.
“What might be a contained nice fire in your campfire or fireplace could turn into these conflagrations,” Smithwick said, noting that fires can occur anywhere given the right conditions, influenced by factors including cultural burning and climate change.
State officials are advising residents to consult their county rangers about local conditions and safe burning practices before conducting any outdoor burns.