GUILFORD COUNTY, NC – With Thanksgiving coming up, the dry and windy conditions have created dangerous fire conditions across the Piedmont Triad.
The lack of a steady rain fall has made the ground extremely dry and the air quality from the wildfires in the mountains is making matters worse.
Now, a burn ban has been issued for 22 counties, half of which are in the Triad.
2 Wants to Know just how quickly a fire can spread in these conditions?
Firefighters at the Greensboro Fire Department showed us how quickly a fire can spread in a live demonstration Tuesday.
Within 30 seconds, the entire pile of leaves and pine straw went up in flames.
And this fire was burning in a controlled environment -- in a controlled pan!
Chief Dwayne Church says it would spread even faster if it were out in the open, fueled by the windy and dry conditions.
"What you can see now is how fast dry leaves and straw and all kind of debris will burn,” said Church. “We have not had rain for a long time. The wind conditions contribute to this. As you can see, the smoke will go with the wind and carry the fire with it also."
That's why they want everyone to obey the burn ban this Thanksgiving.
"Everything in Guilford County is very, very dry,” said Church. “With Thanksgiving coming up, we know people will have some time off away from work and they will want to burn their leaves. We would strongly, strongly advise that you do not try to burn at all."
If you decide to ignore the burn ban, you could get in a lot of trouble.
The sheriff's office says unlawful burning is a misdemeanor.
Violators of the ban could face a $100 fine plus the cost of court.
Church says, if your fire spreads and burns a house or a building while a burn ban is in effect -- you could be charged with first degree arson!
The burn ban remains in effect from now until further notice.
For a full list of all the counties under the burn ban, click here.