A lot in Cornelius's Country Club Shores neighborhood was burned in a brush fire Sunday, Feb. 20. The fire started when a homeowner tried to burn a brush pile. The fire was put out within minutes without incident, but the homeowner received a warning for outdoor burning.

Outdoor burning could be extremely risky today. The National Weather Service has issued an alert saying that the risk of fire is elevated because of the recent dry spell and the forecast of low humidity. The dry weather has sparked a variety of brush and forest fires across the state in the past week.

The weather service alert is in effect until 6 p.m. Monday. Here’s the text:

Minimum relative humidity values this afternoon are expected to be between 25 and 35 percent across the foothills and Piedmont of western North Carolina. Southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph are expected… with gusts as high as 35 mph possible at times. Fuel moisture will remain quite low… and increased fire danger is expected through the afternoon hours.

Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities on whether you can burn today. If you do burn… use extreme caution since fires can quickly get out of hand under these conditions.

Local fire companies have responded to several grass and brush fires in recent days. They include a fire on the median strip of I-77 just north of Exit 30 on Feb. 14 and a brush fire off Bailey Road in Cornelius on Friday, Feb. 18.

Comments Disabled To "Amid dry weather, burning alert escalates"

#1 Comment By David Boraks On February 22, 2011 @ 10:49 am