Macon County Emergency Management Still Does Not Recommend Outdoor Burning

Here is a press release from the Macon County Emergency Management that was issued last night after I went to bed:

Press Release

For Immediate Release

Macon County Emergency Services
November 5, 2016
Warren Cabe, Director

Several large wildfires in and around the border of Macon County will continue to blanket several areas of the county with smoke. Smoke from fires in the US Highway 64 West area and the Tellico/ NC Highway 28 North area will be especially noticeable. These conditions will continue into tomorrow, especially during the early morning hours. Use extreme caution when driving into dense smoke areas.

Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases.

Older adults and children are more likely to be affected by health threats from smoke. Avoiding these areas if smoke does irritate your health condition is the best recommendation, but if that is not possible indoor air can be kept cleaner by keeping windows and doors closed as much as possible.

Conditions are still extremely dangerous for outdoor burning. Outdoor burning is not recommended until significant rainfall decreases the fire danger.

End Press Release

Macon County Emergency Management released a similar statement on November 2, 2016. [LINK]

For those of you who have been wondering why local authorities have not instituted a burn ban, it is probably because they don’t have the authority. The North Carolina General Assembly regulates burning in our state by General Statute. There are also some types of burning that the state cannot regulate, like fires for warmth or for cooking of they are within an enclosed structure.

The appropriate law concerning burning can be found in Chapter 106, Article 78 of the NCGS (North Carolina General Statutes). What Macon Media believes to be the appropriate paragraph is posted below: