Helene adds risks to North Carolina's fall wildfire season

Wildfire season is underway in North Carolina, and this year it comes with extra risks from Helene.

The storm’s damage to rural mountain roads could hamper firefighting efforts.

Also, many people’s yards are covered with woody debris brought down by Helene. To help folks get rid of it, the state waived burn permits for 21 counties, including all of the High Country. 

Even with Helene’s massive rains, most of the mountain counties and Piedmont are under abnormally dry conditions.

It all adds up to a potentially busy wildfire season, says Philip Jackson, a public information officer for the North Carolina Forest Service. He urges people to refrain from burning on windy days and never leave a fire unattended.

“When we tell people to stay with their fire till it's completely out, we mean, put water on it until it is cold to the touch," he says. "Once it is cold to the touch, it's considered out. But as long as there's heat, there's chance for re-burn that fire is still active. It's still very much alive.”

The fall wildfire season runs from October to early December. Jackson says last fall there were about 2,000 wildfires across the state, including one at Sauratown Mountain that burned more than 800 acres.