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<a name="_Hlk59001204"></a><a name="x__Hlk532890118"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b><span style="font-size:48.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><img width="148" height="148" style="width:1.5416in;height:1.5416in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.png@01D7F03F.5C849E40" alt="A close up of a sign
Description automatically generated"></span></b></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:x__Hlk532890118"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b><span style="font-size:48.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:x__Hlk532890118"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b><span style="font-size:48.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">NEWS RELEASE</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:x__Hlk532890118"></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">For Immediate Release Date: 12/13/21</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Contact: Public Information Office Phone: (919) 560-0000/Fax: (919)
560-0020</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">E-mail: </span></b></span><a href="mailto:publicinformationoffice@dconc.gov"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b>publicinformationoffice@dconc.gov</b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b><span style="color:black">
</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> </span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Durham County, City of Durham Fire Marshals Lift Burn Ban<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"><b><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Durham, N.C. – </span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk59001204"></span><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">The
North Carolina Department of Agriculture Forest Service lifted the ban on open burning for the
</span><a href="https://www.ncforestservice.gov/news_pubs/newsdesk_2021.htm#12132021"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">remaining 33 counties</span></a><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman""> – including Durham County – on Monday,
December 13, 2021, effective at 12 p.m. In accordance with the newest order from the state, the Fire Marshals in Durham County and the City of Durham today rescinded its local burning ban within 100 feet of all occupied dwellings.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">The lifting of the ban takes effect immediately.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">The 33 counties are: Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Granville,
Guilford, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Orange, Person, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stokes, Surry, Transylvania, Vance, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">The ban, which went into effect Nov. 29 due to hazardous forest fire conditions, was lifted for
</span><a href="https://www.ncforestservice.gov/news_pubs/newsdesk_2021.htm#12082021"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">67 other counties</span></a><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman""> on Dec. 8.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">“We saw some much-needed rain during the weekend, and that has thankfully helped bring fire danger down, allowing us to lift burn ban restrictions
statewide,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler in a </span><a href="https://www.ncforestservice.gov/news_pubs/newsdesk_2021.htm#12132021"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">release</span></a><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">.
“Still, I’d caution residents to remain vigilant about burning responsibly and safely. Make sure you have a valid burn permit and contact your NCFS county ranger for wildfire prevention and fire safety tips.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">For more information, visit North Carolina Forest Service at
</span><a href="ncforestservice.gov"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">ncforestservice.gov</span></a><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">. Or contact Jason B. Shepherd, Durham County Chief Fire Marshal, at
</span><a href="mailto:jshepherd@dconc.gov"><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman"">jshepherd@dconc.gov</span></a><span style="font-family:"Avenir LT Std 55 Roman""> or 919-201-6638<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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