Fire on Pilot Mountain in North Carolina driven by wind, humidity, and drought (SPECIAL REPORT)
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A large, wind-driven fire is burning on Pilot Mountain, located northwest of Winston-Salem in North Carolina.
\\n200 to 300 acres have burned, according to local reports, and what you\'re seeing here is new imagery from the Carolina Weather Group\'s Dan Whittaker, who spent the day on the ground there Sunday.
\\nBy nightfall Sunday, the fire was climbing up and towards the knob. You can see that here in this new post from Dan.
\\nDan will continue to send back photos and videos just as firefighters continue to try and get this fire under control.
\\nThe weather is not making things easier for firefighters.
\\nDry, windy conditions have allowed the fire to grow to this size and things don\'t get immediately better. A cold front means winds gusty around 20 mph Monday will continue to make fire containment a challenge.
\\nYou\'ll remember, we\'re dramatically behind on rain. Here\'s a look at the drought monitor. Combine that with low humidity, and you have prime conditions for fires.
\\nYou\'ll notice all of our video is recorded from the ground. That\'s because a no-fly zone has been issued by the FAA. Please, don\'t fly any drones in the area. Firefighters are using aircraft to aid in the firefighting efforts.
\\nThis same fire danger exists across much of the Carolinas. Now is not the time to be burning leaves or starting a campfire.
\\nMatter of fact, I\'m holding the latest adversary here from the National Weather Service and they warn, in no uncertain terms, "There is an increased threat of fires growing out of control on Monday due to a combination of low humidity around 30 percent or lower during the afternoon, northwest winds gusting above 30 mph, and dry fuels" - meaning leaves, brush, grasses and more.
\\nThe cause of the Pilot Mountain fire is not yet known. Luckily the Pilot Mountain State Park campground was safely evacuated without any injuries. The park remains closed for the immediate future.
\\nWe\'ll get to provide updates here on the Carolina Weather Group YouTube channel. You\'ll also be notified of a new episode for our weekly Wednesday night show. Our guest this week: James Spann, host of Weather Brains and chief meteorologist at ABC 33/40 in Birmingham, Alabama.
\\nFor now, from Charlotte, I\'m James Brierton.
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