'It's all dried up': Firefighters concerned by lack of rain as fall fire season approaches

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — The lack of rain has firefighters in Burke County concerned about the upcoming fall fire season.

Some firefighters say the dry conditions are similar to 2016 when wildfires in western North Carolina charred thousands of acres.

In South Mountains State Park, the Chestnut Knob fire burned more than 6,000 acres of land. Memories of the fire have returned after a dry summer.

"When the leaves start falling, it gonna get really bad if we don't get some rain," South Mountains Fire chief Allen Hudson said. "Praying God sends us some good rain."

Watch the video above as Channel 9's Dave Faherty joins firefighters who battled the massive wildfires three years ago and returns to some of the hardest hit areas. 

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