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HOKE COUNTY — Fire season is under way, and forest rangers in the Sandhills believe this season could be one of the most dangerous ever.
Brush fires are already popping up everywhere. Downed trees and limbs from the winter storms have created potential fuel for fires.
The debris also creates treacherous conditions for firefighters.
"In an area like this, it's almost impossible to put a tractor in there and a crewman and it be safe," says Richard Frye, a forest ranger in Moore County. "That's one of our biggest concerns right now, the safety of the people."
If the situation gets out of hand, state foresters may have to ban burn permits in Hoke and Moore counties.
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