Last Updated on March 28, 2026 10:51 am
A Red Flag Warning is in effect for Avery County through 11 p.m. Saturday, and fire danger has been upgraded to Very High across all three High Country counties as dry, gusty conditions follow Friday night's cold front.
The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg issued the Red Flag Warning for Avery County, in effect from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Northeast winds of 10 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph and relative humidity as low as 13 percent will create conditions where any fire that ignites will catch and spread rapidly.
Watauga and Ashe counties are not under the Red Flag Warning but are included in an Increased Fire Danger advisory issued by the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, in effect from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. Northwest winds gusting up to 25 mph and humidity values between 15 and 25 percent will also create elevated fire risk in those areas during the afternoon hours.
The NC Forest Service is urging all residents to postpone outdoor burning Saturday. While open burning is technically permitted during a Red Flag Warning, the Forest Service is asking everyone to wait for conditions to improve.
Residents should also properly dispose of cigarette butts and matches, use caution with any equipment that could produce sparks, and keep vehicles off dry grass.
Forecast courtesy of the National Weather Service.
