THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 5, 1995 TAG: 9504050590
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
The first statewide burning ban in a decade went into effect Tuesday, canceling all outdoor burning permits and prohibiting open fires until enough rainwater can replenish parched lands.
``It's so dry, and with these conditions out there, unless we get some kind of rain, more than likely the ban will be in effect,'' said Laura Barston, a forest ranger with the North Carolina Park Service office in Pasquotank County.
Barston and others in the forest service have been battling blazes steadily since March 11, many started by people burning debris in their yards.
Most fires across North Carolina are started in a similar fashion or by arsonists. Last year's major blaze in Croatan National Forest, which burned 24,800 acres, began when someone set fire to an automobile in the woods, Barston said.
Early Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Raleigh issued a red flag warning, indicating that dry weather, low humidity and high winds were expected.
``North Carolina Division of Forest Resources officials decided to issue the burning ban because of this forecasted weather - and because the forests are exceptionally dry,'' said a state announcement issued Tuesday.
``These two conditions have significantly increased the risk of dangerous forest fires occurring.''
An exception to the burning ban are fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. But those fires at people's homes must be enclosed to ensure that burning materials cannot escape, and must be watched at all times.
Adequate fire protection equipment also must be readily available, said Johnathan B. Howes, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources.
On Monday, firefighters throughout North Carolina battled 127 blazes that seared 488 acres. Since January, 2,449 fires have burned 7,464 acres statewide.
The last time burning permits were canceled throughout the state was in May 1985. The last burning ban for eastern North Carolina was in May 1994. For more information about controlled burning, call a local fire department. by CNB