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Heads up: High fire danger right now

Only you can prevent forest fires. Don't be burning anything outside until our humidity goes up.
Credit: WFMY News 2
Dry air and gusty winds are a bad combination.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Just like Smokey the Bear said, "Only you can prevent forest fires." The National Weather Service wants you to know that phrase is especially important right now in the Carolinas. 

Why? Well, our weather is almost perfect for any fires to spread quickly.

"Right now, our air is extremely dry and our winds are blowing at a good clip," says WFMY News 2 Weather Chief Meteorologist Tim Buckley. "If any fire gets started, there's a good chance that it'll get out of control fast." 

It's a good idea to hold off on burning anything outside until conditions improve. In fact, you could get in trouble if you do and it starts a fire. 

In Virginia, Fire Weather Warnings are posted. These are issued when relative humidity is expected to be critically low for a period of time. Right now, the humidity is less than 30%. On top of that, winds are gusting to 30 mph. Here in North Carolina, we have a special weather statement urging the public not to burn outside.

Credit: WFMY News 2

When might our weather start to change? Humidity will slowly be increasing through Thursday and Friday. This should help to limit our fire danger in the area, but it's still good to be extra cautious. The next chance for rain will be Saturday afternoon in our area. 

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