The rains held off long enough for all four area festivals to wind down Saturday, but despite lingering showers through Sunday the area is still in a severe drought.
Meteorologist Christopher Cawley measured .44 inches of rain in Whiteville from Saturday through Sunday. Saturday marked the end of 19 days without measurable rainfall in the county – not a record, but close to it.
While the rain helped some gardens and knocked some of the dust down, the region is still ten inches below normal for the year.
The statewide burn ban remains in effect until further notice, according to the N.C. Forest Service.
“While the rainfall we received over the weekend was a welcome sight, it offered little to no relief from widespread drought conditions while being nowhere near enough to reduce our wildfire risk,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Even the areas that received the heaviest amount of rain will quickly dry out from the sunshine and warmer temperatures.
“Until we get some additional rain and see more green-up in our forests, holding the burn ban in place statewide is the best option right now.”
While green-up and leaf-out are progressing at normal rate, the NCFS said, low soil moisture, dry surface fuels and persistent low humidity are contributing to wildfire activity. For Western North Carolina, excessive forest fuels from Hurricane Helene are more available now than they were in 2025. Low water levels in coastal plains areas have helped produce intense fire behavior, and officials are concerned organic soil “ground fires” will likely be a long-term issue.
One such ground fire is burning in Pender County, and officials are closely monitoring the 740+ acre Rosindale Fire on the Bladen-Columbus county line for the same reason. The Piedmont experienced 87 new wildfire starts over the weekend alone, according to the NCFS.
Since the statewide burn ban was first enacted March 28, the N.C. Forest Service has responded to more than 1,200 wildfires, burning nearly 3,500 acres. Only five of those wildfires were determined to be the result of lightning strikes.
Since the state’s burn ban took effect, 287 citations have been issued for illegal burning with several fires currently pending law enforcement investigation and action.
The public is urged to abide by the burn ban and to use extreme caution with equipment, machines, mowers, vehicles on dry grass, smoking materials such as cigarettes, anything that can throw a spark. Many of these causes have resulted in several large wildfires in recent weeks throughout the state, according to the NCFS.
During a state-issued burn ban, the same N.C. Forest Service personnel providing initial and extended attack for wildfire response are providing the necessary enforcement action to support the ban on open burning. Reducing the number of new ignitions is critical for sustaining adequate resource availability for an extended period, making state-issued bans a necessary tool for keeping wildfires contained and as small as possible until fully extinguished.
As the statewide ban on open burning and high fire danger continues, the public can stay informed and prepared to prevent wildfires. The fire danger map and fire danger statements are public-facing tools to help warn of increased wildfire risk due to current and forecast weather conditions. To see fire danger in your area, use the fire danger map and fire danger statements, both available online.
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