Near-record heat, dry conditions raise fire danger across Buncombe County

Buncombe County is headed into a hot, dry stretch that is sharpening fire danger across the mountains. Forecasts for Asheville Regional Airport show highs near 81 degrees Sunday, 82 Monday, 86 Tuesday and about 90 Wednesday, with upper 80s holding through the rest of the week.

The heat is landing on ground that is already drying out fast. Drought.gov estimates 238,318 people in Buncombe County are affected by drought, and its county page shows 100% of the county’s population under drought conditions. For the county, February 2026 ranked as the 21st driest February in 132 years, at 1.78 inches below normal, while January through February ranked 14th driest year to date over the same span, at 2.81 inches below normal.

That dryness is showing up in the fire-weather outlook. The NC State Climate Office and N.C. Forest Service Fire Danger Digest shows Very High to Extreme fire danger in multiple western North Carolina mountain areas in early to mid-April, including an Extreme rating for the Southern Highlands area by Monday, April 13.

State officials have already put the whole state under a burn ban. The N.C. Forest Service ban, which took effect at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 28, remains in force until further notice and bars open burning statewide while suspending burning permits. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said the combination of drought severity, forecast fire weather and limited rainfall potential made it “critical to reduce the number of new fire starts,” warning that vegetative fuels will “dry rapidly” and pointing to heavy “fuel loading in the mountains.”

The ban carries real consequences. State guidance says violations can bring a $100 fine plus $183 in court costs, and anyone responsible for starting a fire can also be held liable for suppression expenses. Campfires are treated as open burning and are not exempt. Fireworks and pyrotechnics are prohibited during the ban.

The concern is not abstract. The N.C. Forest Service’s preliminary Signal 14 report for Thursday, April 9, listed 43 wildfires burning 51.5 acres statewide. Month to date, the agency had tallied 242 fires and 1,378.7 acres, while year to date it had counted 3,393 fires and 8,845.9 acres, not including uncontained fires or those on federal land.

With temperatures rising and fuels drying, Buncombe County is entering one of the most dangerous fire-weather periods of the season.