Multiple Counties in Western North Carolina Enforce Burn Bans as Wildfires Escalate

The North Carolina Forest Service has issued a burn ban for 14 counties in Western North Carolina due to severe drought conditions and increasing wildfire activity. The ban prohibits all open burning and the issuance of new permits. Violators may face fines. Buncombe County has also implemented a burning ban. Two significant wildfires are currently burning in the region. The Division of Air Quality has issued a Code Red for Henderson and Cherokee counties due to smoke from ongoing fires.