By RAY WYCHE
Staff Writer

State and county fire officials are showing that they were serious when they prohibited all outside burning because of the tinder-dry conditions during the current drought.

The N.C. Forest Service, which placed a ban on all outside burning except those fires set within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling in October, and the Columbus County Emergency Services fire marshal’s office, which prohibited all outside burning in a Nov. 21 ordinance, are citing people with civil violations for starting fires. The bans are effective regardless of how close to a house the fire is set or how small the burning is.

The Forest Service has written more than 40 citations and warnings in the six-county District 8 with headquarters in Whiteville, and the county emergency service’s office has written several citations for illegal burnings within 100 feet of a building being used as a house.

The extreme drought conditions, making forests especially susceptible to wild fires, led to the complete ban on all outside fires.

The prohibition includes fires in outside grills unless the devices have covered tops and sides.

The Forest Service reports that a wild fire burned four acres of woodlands near Delco early Wednesday morning, along with a $150,000 home. (See separate story in our printed edition.)