Drought-fueled fires burning | Ep. 580

Thousands of acres are burning across the Southeast as dry weather persists.

Without rain, new fires are burning in North Carolina and South Carolina. Low humidity and gusty winds are making it easy for fires to start and spread.

A look at your forecast shows some rain is finally on the way, but with such a deficit, the drought conditions will continue. That's why some cities and counties have already begun drought restrictions

In this episode of the Carolina Weather Group, we sit down with Corey Davis from the NC State Climate Office and our panel of experts to discuss the "angry bear" of a drought that has been building since last fall. With parts of North Carolina nearly 17 inches below normal rainfall, we are seeing record-breaking dryness that hasn't been felt in some areas since 1911.

In this update, we cover:

Active Wildfires: Latest updates on the County Line Fire (Avery/Mitchell County), the 30,000-acre Pineland Road Fire in Georgia, and fires impacting Myrtle Beach and the Midlands.

Record Drought: Why April 2026 is on track to be one of the driest on record for Charlotte and Raleigh.

Water Restrictions: How local municipalities like Monroe and Charlotte are reacting to falling lake and streamflow levels.

The Helene Factor: How downed timber from Helene continues to fuel wildfires in the mountains 18 months later.

The Forecast: Meteorologist Frank Strait breaks down when (and if) we will see enough rain to "stop the bleeding".

A Beacon of Hope: We also discuss a major infrastructure milestone—the first Norfolk Southern train returning to Asheville from the east since Helene. Joseph Navin reports.

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The Carolina Weather Group operates a weekly talk show of the same name. Broadcasting each week from the Carolinas, the show is dedicated to covering weather, science, technology, and more with newsmakers from the field of atmospheric science. With co-hosts across both North Carolina and South Carolina, the show may closely feature both NC weather and SC weather, but the topics are universally enjoyable for any weather fan. Join us as we talk about weather, the environment, the atmosphere, space travel, and all the technology that makes it possible.