Due to increased fire danger on Thursday, Nov. 13, the Buncombe County Fire Marshal is advising residents to avoid open burning until conditions improve. Although there is no official ban at this time, local officials are asking for cooperation to help emergency crews protect people and property.
“All fires must be attended and have a means of extinguishment on hand,” according to the Fire Marshal’s statement. The guidance also includes keeping fires small and manageable, maintaining a distance of at least 25 feet from combustible vegetation and structures, and only burning natural vegetation. Burning material is not allowed in areas where public yard waste pickup exists, such as the City of Asheville and other municipalities.
Residents are encouraged to check if burning is permitted by calling the Open Burning Hotline at 828-250-6767 before starting any fire. Additional guidelines are available on the county website.
In related news about Buncombe County schools, recent data shows that college readiness among students varies by subject area. In the 2022-23 school year, 28.5% of senior students taking the science portion of the ACT were considered ready for college, while 30.1% of juniors met this benchmark (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). For reading, 41.1% of seniors and 43.2% of juniors achieved college readiness (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). In math, 25.6% of seniors and 32.7% of juniors were considered ready for college-level work (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/).
