RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A burning ban covering 26 counties in North Carolina means fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices are prohibited in those areas for the Memorial Day weekend, a state agency said.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture said in a news release on Friday that with nearly half the state in moderate drought status and little rain in the forecast, the N.C. Forest Service officials urges residents to avoid unnecessary risk with fire.
“There is a little bit of rain in the forecast, and we’ll keep an eye on that, looking for significant improvement in those drought conditions,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in the news release. “Until then, fireworks are not a risk we can take in those 26 counties currently under the burn ban, and we strongly urge anyone outside those counties to think twice about using fireworks this weekend.”
Since the burn ban took effect, the forest service has responded to more than 70 wildfires, although not all of them have occurred in the ban area.
The ban is in effect for the following counties:
- Anson
- Beaufort
- Bladen
- Brunswick
- Carteret
- Columbus
- Craven
- Cumberland
- Duplin
- Greene
- Harnett
- Hoke
- Jones
- Lee
- Lenoir
- Moore
- New Hanover
- Onslow
- Pamlico
- Pender
- Pitt
- Richmond
- Robeson
- Sampson
- Scotland
- Wayne