Despite rain falling throughout North Carolina on Thursday, there remains a moderate fire risk in the area.
According to the NC State Climate Office, the risk will remain through the weekend. Improvements won't come until first half of next week.
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Dry conditions were to blame for a brush fire that broke out Wednesday and reignited overnight near Zebulon.
North Carolina is in a drought, and Zebulon Fire Chief Chris Perry urged people to refrain from burning due to the dry and windy conditions.
"Burning is just not recommended," he said. "There are times of the year when you can burn leaves, you can burn sticks, and you can do it safely. If you must, have a water hose where you can keep it wet around it and extinguish any fires that grow.”
Drought improves slightly
Due to recent rains, the drought has slightly improved across the state. The severe drought went from 87% coverage to 70% coverage. The extreme drought went from 5% coverage to 4% coverage. When looking at the last six months, this is the 2nd driest on record.
All of the state is in at least a moderate drought.