Fires, FEMA, and North Carolina’s Future: How Climate Change is Threatening Quality of Life in the Tar Heel State

Raleigh, N.C. —  The ongoing recovery in Western North Carolina has been exacerbated by the recent spate of wildfires, where trees downed by Hurricane Helene and dry weather became fuel for the blazes. Here are some quick facts about how climate change is creating harm for North Carolina’s families:

• As of March 23rd, 2025, 12,695 acres have burned in 2,874 wildfires in North Carolina.
• Persistent drought and dry conditions across North Carolina have fueled wildfires in the state.
• More than 4.8 million people in North Carolina, or 50% of North Carolina’s population, are living in areas at elevated risk of wildfire.
• Rising temperatures heighten the risk of wildfire in North Carolina.
• North Carolina is home to the most acres in the nation that fall within a “wildland-urban interface,” with over half (51.9%) of North Carolina’s homes at risk from wildfires.
• In 2024, North Carolina experienced more climate change-induced weather whiplash, where quick, unpredictable changes in weather, particularly between wet and dry spells, occurred. 

As North Carolina continues to face the challenges of disaster recovery, it has been reported in the Washington Post that the Trump Administration seeks to diminish federal disaster relief by October 1st. This presents an additional danger as North Carolina approaches hurricane season, when federal support for disaster recovery is needed most.  

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