Increased Fire Danger Statement 03-09-2009

Photo: A Wildfire in Macon County last week

According to the National Weather Service, there will be an increased danger for fires getting out of control due to low humidity and increasing winds later this morning, so hold off on the burning for a few days, please.

Here is the Special Weather Statement:

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC

453 AM EDT MON MAR 9 2009

NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068>072-082-501>510-100000-

AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NEWLAND...STATESVILLE...MOCKSVILLE...SPRUCE PINE...CHEROKEE...WAYNESVILLE...ASHEVILLE...HICKORY...SALISBURY...SYLVA...FRANKLIN...BREVARD...HENDERSONVILLE...SHELBY...LINCOLNTON...GASTONIA...CHARLOTTE...CONCORD...MONROE...LENOIR...MORGANTON...MARION...LAKE LURE...RUTHERFORD...COLUMBUS 

453 AM EDT MON MAR 9 2009

...INCREASED FIRE DANGER FROM 11 AM EDT THIS MORNING

THROUGH THIS EVENING...

RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL DROP TO 20 TO 25 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. EVEN LOWER VALUES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND WESTERN PIEDMONT AS WELL AS SOME OF THE LARGER MOUNTAIN VALLEYS.

WINDS TODAY WILL BE OUT OF THE WEST OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT AND NORTHWEST OVER THE MOUNTAINS. WINDS WILL NOT BE AS STRONG TODAY AS THEY WERE ON SUNDAY. HOWEVER...OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE BLUE RIDGE...GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH ARE STILL POSSIBLE THIS MORNING. BY THE TIME THE HUMIDITY REACHES IT/S AFTERNOON MINIMUM...

WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BELOW RED FLAG CRITERIA ACROSS THE REGION. THESE METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS...ALONG WITH LOW FUEL MOISTURE...WILL RESULT IN INCREASED FIRE DANGER.

RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO USE EXTRA CAUTION HANDLING ANY POTENTIAL IGNITION SOURCE...INCLUDING MACHINERY...CIGARETTES AND MATCHES. BE SURE TO PROPERLY DISCARD ALL SMOKING MATERIALS. ANY FIRE WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SPREAD RAPIDLY. PLEASE REPORT WILDFIRES TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY.

$$