Fire Risk Is High – Avoid Providing a Spark

Warm temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds increase outdoor fire risk. Raleigh and our surrounding areas have been experiencing these conditions this fall. Exercise caution and be prepared to take immediate action in case a fire starts – and avoid providing a spark that could ignite it.

Our area has been under a “red flag warning” several times within the past few weeks. A red flag warning means extreme fire weather conditions are currently present or will occur shortly, according to the National Weather Service.

In practice, this means any outdoor fire can spread extremely quickly, says Capt. James Pearce from the Raleigh Fire Department.

Why Is This Happening?

In Raleigh and the surrounding area, we have had little precipitation for several days – or weeks, in some areas. At the same time, leaves began to drop, and cold fronts decreased the temperatures in hours, bringing trash-can-toppling winds.  The fronts also dropped the humidity and gave us that crisp, dry feeling. 

“All of these things combined make for an extremely dry, fuel-rich ground that can easily support a fire,” explains Pearce. “That’s when the red flag warnings typically pop up, although fire danger remains elevated even outside of the warning times.”