ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The Buncombe County Fire Marshal’s Office is discouraging open burning Wednesday, Oct. 22, because of increased fire danger caused by gusty winds and low humidity.

While conditions do not currently warrant a formal burn ban, officials are asking residents to refrain from burning when possible to help prevent wildfires and reduce strain on emergency crews.

The U.S. National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg warned Wednesday that “a very dry air mass will create low relative humidity values this afternoon. Wind gusts also increase with breezy conditions expected. This will lead to increased fire danger across North Carolina and possibly the Upstate and northeast Georgia.”

Residents who do burn are reminded to follow all safety precautions: fires must be attended at all times and have a means of extinguishment readily available. Fires should be kept small, manageable and at least 25 feet away from structures or combustible vegetation.

Burning is prohibited in areas with public yard waste pickup, including the city of Asheville and other municipalities. Only natural vegetation may be burned.

Before burning, residents should call the Open Burning Hotline at 828-250-6767 to confirm that burning is permitted that day.

For updates and emergency notifications, residents can sign up for BC Alerts by texting “BCAlert” to 99411.