Wildfires have been raging in the southern states of the US for days

Wildfires have been raging in several southern states for days caused by drought, warmer-than-normal temperatures and, in some cases, possible arson. The threat has led officials to issue a ban on fire burning and stop issuing safe burning permits.

November is the peak month of fire season across the country, but certain areas, including parts of the South East, are expected to be at ‘above normal’ risk. according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Mississippi, for example, was one of eight states that reported major fires to the National Fire Brigade on Friday. Drought and below-normal precipitation were some of the problems contributing factorsthe center said.

While the fires in Mississippi are largely under control, firefighters in Virginia and elsewhere are still working to extinguish flames across large swaths of their territory.

“The southern fire season has increasingly become a fire year,” Shayne Martin, national spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, said in a statement. “Fires have been burning longer, hotter and causing more destruction in recent years.”

Mr Martin said the bushfires in the South were particularly alarming because the region has “three of the four largest states with the most homes located near wild areas, posing greater risks to human health and property.”

Virginia

Extremely dry conditions and high winds fueled Virginia’s wildfires, prompting Gov. Glenn Youngkin declare a state of emergency which came into effect on Monday and would remain active for 30 days.

Governor Youngkin said officials were particularly concerned about two fires, the Quaker Run fire in Madison County and the Tuggles Gap fire in Patrick County.

The Quaker Run Fire had burned about 2,800 acres of private, state and federal lands as of Tuesday morning. according to the National Park Service. About 670 acres of that was in Shenandoah National Park, where officials imposed a fire ban. effective Tuesday. The Virginia National Guard sent two Black Hawk helicopters to pour water on the fire.

Two homes and an outbuilding were destroyed by the fire Poplar Drive fire in Henderson County, which has spread to over 400 hectares of 175 hectares since Saturday. Only 5 percent of the fire was under control Monday and officials were still investigating the cause.

Two other fires remained active in the state, officials said: the Collett Ridge fire in Cherokee County and the East Fork fire in Jackson County.

Officials have banned all open burning in North Carolina has revoked burning permits in 14 provinces in the western part of the state due to the threat of forest fires due to severe drought.

“With dry conditions expected to persist, this burning ban is necessary to reduce the risk of fires quickly starting and spreading,” said Steve Troxler, state agriculture commissioner. a statement on Sunday. “Our top priority is always to protect lives, property and forestlands across the state.”

Kentucky

There were 61 active fires in Kentucky on Tuesday, burning an estimated 8,800 acres, said John Mura, a spokesman for the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.

Many of the fires had been burning for several days but escalated over the weekend, Mr Mura said. The fires are concentrated in the eastern and southeastern parts of the state.

Six different fires broke out in Harlan County, in southeastern Kentucky, this weekend. Dan Mosley, county judge-executive, declared a state of emergency. Officials said they suspected arson could have caused the fires in the area around the town of Smith; Other fires in the province were believed to have started after people tried to burn debris, and those fires grew out of control.

It was unclear when the fires would be extinguished, but there was a slight chance of precipitation and cooler temperatures that could help by the end of the week, Mr Mura said.

Tennessee

Officials battled more than 30 fires Monday that had destroyed more than 500 acres of privately owned forestland in Tennessee. according to the state Forestry Department. At least seven fires were still active Tuesday, with the majority concentrated in the central and western parts of the state, according to a map of the state. Department of Forestry. A number of other fires were classified as contained or under control, meaning control lines had been established around the fires.

The Forestry Department has stopped issuing permits for the safe burning of debris in most provinces and officials issued a burn ban in Morgan County on Monday, in the eastern part of the state.

Drought fueled the fires and officials noted that rain was expected to return later in the week, with the central part of the state expected to receive at least half an inch of rainfall.