N.C. Brush Fire Damages 12 Homes in Charlotte; One Injured

North Carolina firefighters fought a large brush fire Wednesday that damaged a dozen homes in a Charlotte neighborhood.

Charlotte Fire Department Capt. Rob Brisley said the fire heavily damaged two of the homes. Brisley said one person was injured.

The fire started in a pile of pine straw and shrubbery and spread from house to house in the Ballantyne subdivision. City firefighters joined with N.C. Forestry Service personnel in preventing the fire from spreading further.

Forecasters warned Wednesday that critically dry conditions could rapidly spread wildfires from North Carolina’s coast to the state’s foothills.

The National Weather Service said relative humidity values were less than 25 percent, and wind gusted up to 30 mph or 40 mph.

Those conditions have the potential to rapidly spread outdoor fires.

The state has already banned all outdoor burning amid the state’s worst drought on record.

Information from: The Charlotte Observer,
http://www.charlotte.com