Burn ban is back
By Melanie Davis
Melanie@mountaintimes.com

Continued dry conditions have led to the reinstatement of the statewide burning ban, effective as of noon on Thursday March 27, by N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources officials.

This ban cancels all burning permits and prohibits all open flame in the area more than 100 feet away from an occupied dwelling.

The area within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling is under the jurisdiction of the county fire marshal. Steve Sudderth, Watauga County fire marshal, has issued a burning ban for this 100-foot area, to become effective Saturday at noon.

The burn ban does not pertain to cooking fires, such as a grill or outdoor cooker. The ban does prohibit camping fires and all other open flames.

Watauga County remains listed in severe drought conditions by the N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council, along with 35 other counties. Forty five counties are still under extreme drought conditions, while 20 are in abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions.

This time of year is also known as spring fire season. N.C. Forest Service ranger Rudy Johnson said the spring fire season lasts until May 15. After that date, the vegetation is in a green, growing stage and the hardwood forests are leafed out to shade the forest floor.

Violating the burning ban may result in burning a hole in a wallet. Those who violate the burn ban may be assessed a $100 fine and court costs. If the fire does spread and the N.C. Forest Service has to take steps to extinguish the fire, the person responsible can be held liable for the expenses resulting from containment.