North Carolina's wildfires rage as drought grips nearly the entire state

Burning bans remained in effect statewide from the North Carolina Forest Service.

The National Weather Service and most airports in the state last recorded widespread rain on April 5 prior to Sunday. Raleigh, Rocky Mount and Fayetteville were among locations at the capital city and east to get one-third of an inch or better, with Wilmington a tick below one-half inch.

Patchy rain was in the western part of the state, though nothing measurable at airports in Asheville and Charlotte.

Extreme drought conditions have grown from 22.3% to 38.1% in North Carolina over the past seven days, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor update released Thursday. A minimum designation of severe drought is covering 95% of the state - same as a week ago.

Major wildfires are active at the coast, in the mountains and in the southeastern part of the state. Two are in the southeastern part of the state in Pender County.

The Whitehall Plantation Fire has burned about 275 acres. The Pelham Road Fire, in the Willard area, is about 30 acres and three-quarters contained.

In Croatan National Forest, the Pettiford Creek Fire has burned about 190 acres since being reported on Friday in Carteret County. Another wildfire of about 75 acres is active in Avery County in the mountains.

Smaller fires are being managed in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests of the mountains.

The statewide outdoor burning ban has been in place since March 28. Officials say with some timber still down from Hurricane Helene's arrival in September 2024, there is fuel for wildfires in the western part of the state.

More than 4,000 wildfires have been reported in the state this calendar year.