State forest fire officials have lifted an outdoor burn ban for about one-third of the state's counties.
The North Carolina Forest Service issued a statewide burn ban after a very dry and windy November led to an outbreak of wildfires. Pilot and Sauratown mountains were among the hardest hit.
The agency has lifted the ban for most of the far west and southeastern counties. The remaining ones were largely in the Triad and the northwest area of the state bordering Virginia.
The Forest Service says places lifted from the ban have benefitted from recent rains. The Piedmont Triad has not, but relief could be on the way.
The National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, is calling for showers in the Piedmont and the northwest North Carolina mountains over the weekend.