Fire safety for speedway campers

CONCORD, N.C. -- Camping out at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the big race this weekend is all about having a good time, but this year’s drought has firefighters taking extra precautions.

They’re welcoming campers with fliers that have tips on how to prevent a fire.

Norman Franklin of the Concord Fire Department walked the campgrounds all day on Wednesday telling campers how quickly a fire can spread under such dry conditions.

The rules and regulations actually come from the campsites themselves, but Franklin said he and his fellow firefighters were more than happy to hand them out.

The most important rule -- no ground fires.

Grills must be at least 6 inches off the ground and a fire extinguisher must be present.

With the temperature expected to drop this weekend, firefighters are also concerned about carbon monoxide poisoning.

Franklin said, “You don’t want to bring a generator, BBQ grill or anything that burns inside a tent because anything that burns carbon monoxide can kill you.”

Firefighters will be patrolling the campsites 24/7 through Sunday.