Weekend Rain Not Enough To Alleviate Drought, Statewide Burn Ban Remains In Effect

RALEIGH, N.C. – The statewide burn ban remains in effect until further notice despite weekend rain in some areas. Persistent dry weather and increasing rainfall deficits from the last several months have left most of the state needing 10 inches of rain or more.

“While the rainfall we received over the weekend was a welcome sight, it offered little to no relief from widespread drought conditions while being nowhere near enough to reduce our wildfire risk,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Even the areas that received the heaviest amount of rain will quickly dry out from the sunshine and warmer temperatures. Until we get some additional rain and see more green-up in our forests, holding the burn ban in place statewide is the best option right now.”

While green-up and leaf-out are progressing at normal rate, low soil moisture, dry surface fuels and persistent low humidity are contributing to wildfire activity. For Western North Carolina, excessive forest fuels from Hurricane Helene are more available now than they were in 2025, low water levels in coastal areas have helped produce intense fire behavior where ground fire will likely be a long-term issue, and the Piedmont experienced 87 new wildfire starts over the weekend alone. Extended attack and mop-up efforts will be taxing and long-winded until drought conditions improve.

Since the statewide burn ban was first enacted March 28, the N.C. Forest Service has responded to more than 1,200 wildfires, burning nearly 3,500 acres. Only five of those wildfires were determined to be the result of lightning strikes. Since the state’s burn ban took effect, 287 citations have been issued for illegal burning with several fires currently pending law enforcement investigation and action.

The public is urged to abide by the burn ban and to use extreme caution with equipment, machines, mowers, vehicles on dry grass, smoking materials such as cigarettes, anything that can throw a spark. Many of these causes have resulted in several large wildfires in recent weeks throughout the state. While not classified as open burning and not affected by the state’s ban on open burning, they are still contributors to new fire starts across the state.

During a state-issued burn ban, the same N.C. Forest Service personnel providing initial and extended attack for wildfire response are providing the necessary enforcement action to support the ban on open burning. Reducing the number of new ignitions is critical for sustaining adequate resource availability for an extended period, making state-issued bans a necessary tool for keeping wildfires contained and as small as possible until fully extinguished.