Officials say fire at Pilot Mountain finally contained

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A fire that burned 1,050 acres on Pilot Mountain in Surry County, North Carolina, is finally 100% contained, the N.C. Forest Service reported Saturday.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reports that smoke from the mountain will still be visible periodically, but firefighters plan to remove “excess hose and equipment” over the next few days, according to a Forest Service Facebook post.

With more dry conditions expected across the state, Forest Service officials on Saturday urged residents to take precautions against unintentionally causing a fire.

November saw 799 forest fires on state or private lands across North Carolina, according to the Forest Service, more than doubling the average of the 10 previous years, The News & Observer reported.

The N.C. Forest Service issued a burn ban over the past week and canceled all burn permits, citing dry and windy conditions that could cause flames to spread quickly.