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Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires return to the Carolinas, burning thousands of acres and prompting evacuations
Multiple wildfires have burned thousands of acres in North Carolina and South Carolina, prompting evacuation orders as dry conditions and strong winds are causing the blazes to spread rapidly in areas that were decimated by Hurricane Helene last year. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety issued a mandatory evacuation order on Saturday night for parts of Polk County, N.C., warning that visibility in areas would be reduced and evacuation routes could become blocked. 'If you do not leave now, you could be trapped, injured, or killed,' the department said in a post on X. Additional mandatory evacuations were ordered on Sunday evening. In North Carolina, there were three major fires in Polk County, N.C. as of Sunday night, according to the state's forestry service: The Black Cove Fire, near Saluda, N.C., has burned more than 2,000 acres and is 0% contained. The Deep Woods Fire, near Columbus, N.C., has burned more than 2,500 acres and is also uncontained. The Fish Hook Fire, near Lake Adger, N.C., has burned 199 acres and is 50% contained. Nearly 250 firefighting personnel were working to contain the three wildfires, the forestry service said. At least four homes have been destroyed by the wildfires, but there have been no reports of injuries. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Air Quality also issued a Code Red air quality alert due to dense smoke in Polk County. 'Code Red means prolonged exposure to the air may be unhealthy for anyone,' the department warned. In South Carolina, there were two major wildfires as of Sunday night, according to the state's forestry commission: The Table Rock Fire, in Pickens County, S.C., has burned more than 1,300 acres and is 0% contained. The Persimmon Ridge Fire, in Greenville County, S.C., has burned more than 800 acres and is 0% contained. The Table Rock fire prompted voluntary evacuations for about 100 homes, officials said. South Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency to 'mobilize resources quickly and ensure our firefighters have the support they need to protect lives and property.' It's the second wildfire outbreak to impact the Carolinas in recent weeks. Earlier this month, there were more than 170 wildfires burning across both states. Strong winds, abnormally dry conditions and downed trees left by Helene are fueling the fires. "In my 20-year career, this is the most fuel I've seen on the ground," North Carolina Forest Service spokesman Jeremy Waldrop told WLOS-TV in Asheville. Both South and North Carolina had already issued statewide burn bans due to hazardous forest fire conditions. There was, however, some relief for firefighting efforts in the forecast. Rain showers and higher humidity levels were expected late Sunday into Monday as a cold front moved across the region, according to the National Weather Service. But behind the front, more dry weather was expected throughout the rest of the week.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires in the Carolinas burn more than 6000 acres, prompting evacuations, a burn ban and National Guard deployment
High temperatures, strong winds and low humidity are causing a group of wildfires to spread rapidly through western North Carolina, risking further damage to areas already ravaged by Hurricane Helene. 'In my career, 20-year career, this is the most fuel I've seen on the ground,' North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Jeremy Waldrop told CNN affiliate WLOS, describing the large number of leaves and trees that fell during the hurricane. It is not immediately clear how many residents would be affected by the order, though a shelter has been set up in Columbus, North Carolina. 'A lot of heavy fuels we've seen on the ground currently,' Waldrop added. While South Carolina the governor declared state of emergency because of the wildfires, in both South and North Carolina the fires have been similarly difficult to contain due to timber downed by Hurricane Helene. In North Carolina, videos obtained by WLOS show visibly dry forests burned and charred by flames, with multiple helicopters dropping water from above thick clouds of smoke. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety announced a mandatory evacuation Saturday night for parts of Polk County, home to roughly 20,000 people, 80 miles west of Charlotte. 'We live in a rural area, and so not everyone has internet here or even has great cell service,' Polk County resident Melissa Holland told fire officials at a recent community meeting. 'It's very spotty,' she added. Holland said many residents are relying on word of mouth to hear about orders, but she's hoping for a more consistent line of county communication. CNN has reached out to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety for more information on how many residents were affected by the order, though a shelter was set up in Columbus. 'Visibility in area will be reduced, and roads/evacuation routes can become blocked; if you do not leave now, you could be trapped, injured, or killed,' the department wrote in a post on X. As of Sunday night, the Black Cove Fire, located two miles northeast of Saluda, North Carolina, was more than 2,076 acres in size, while the Deep Woods Fire, 5 miles northwest of Columbus was mapped at 2,545 acres. Both fires remained uncontained. The Fish Hook Fire, on private land near Lake Adger, was last estimated at less than 199 acres. All evacuation orders related to the fire were lifted Sunday night. In a statement issued Sunday, the North Carolina Forest Service said 249 personnel from the state and other parts of the country were working to contain the three wildfires. 'Containment is expected to increase in the coming days, and firefighters will remain on scene until the fire no longer poses a threat,' the service wrote. Four homes have so far been destroyed by the wildfires, according to Polk County spokesperson Kellie Cannon, and a code red air quality alert has been issued. A code red alert means that prolonged exposure to air may be unhealthy for anyone. In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster on Saturday declared a state of emergency as fire crews worked to contain two wildfires in separate counties. The Table Rock Fire in Pickens County, northwest South Carolina, ignited Friday and has grown to more than 1,300 acres, the commission said in a Sunday night update. The Persimmon Ridge Fire, in Greenville County –– the most populous in the state –– was at 800 acres by Sunday evening. At least six aircraft will be deployed for water-dropping missions, the commission said, including one Chinook and two Black Hawks of the state's National Guard, one helicopter from the Law Enforcement Division and two single-engine air tanker Fire Bosses from the Forestry Commission. Both fires, which have prompted a statewide burning ban from Friday night onwards, were human caused, according to the Forestry Commission. Local fire officials have called for voluntary evacuations at residences east of Table Rock State Park. So far, 100 residences have been evacuated. On Sunday, the South Carolina National Guard released video footage showing efforts to fight the dual wildfires. One clip shows a CH-47 Chinook helicopter dropping water over a burning area of the Persimmon Fire, while another video, filmed from a National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk, captures massive plumes of smoke rising from the hills where the Table Rock Fire is located. The South Carolina National Guard said Forestry Commission firefighters were set to conduct operations in the area, focusing on strengthening firebreaks, clearing hazardous trees, and igniting control lines to contain the fire. 'Spot fires continue to spark new ignitions outside of the original fire area. Exacerbating the situation is an abundance of downed timber from Hurricane Helene, which has increased the fuel load on the mountain,' the Forestry Commission said. The deadly storm which swept through parts of the South last September was responsible for the damage of more than 5,000 miles of state-maintained roads and 7,000 private roads, bridges and culverts in North Carolina, according to the Associated Press. A cold front shifting east from Texas this week is expected to bring some relief for firefighters in the Carolinas Monday morning. Peak rainfall will be relatively brief early Monday morning until around 9 a.m. –– while rainfall totals are not expected to be significant. Any rainfall, however, will help to slow the spread of ongoing wildfires. Forecasts indicate that this will be the only round of rainfall expected for the rest of this week, with the next round of rainfall expected from a storm that will impact eastern states by the end of the weekend. CNN's Robert Shackelford and Martin Goillandeau contributed to this report
CNN
24-03-2025
- Climate
- CNN
Wildfires in the Carolinas burn more than 6000 acres, prompting evacuations, a burn ban and National Guard deployment
High temperatures, strong winds and low humidity are causing a group of wildfires to spread rapidly through western North Carolina, risking further damage to areas already ravaged by Hurricane Helene. 'In my career, 20-year career, this is the most fuel I've seen on the ground,' North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Jeremy Waldrop told CNN affiliate WLOS, describing the large number of leaves and trees that fell during the hurricane. It is not immediately clear how many residents would be affected by the order, though a shelter has been set up in Columbus, North Carolina. 'A lot of heavy fuels we've seen on the ground currently,' Waldrop added. While South Carolina the governor declared state of emergency because of the wildfires, in both South and North Carolina the fires have been similarly difficult to contain due to timber downed by Hurricane Helene. In North Carolina, videos obtained by WLOS show visibly dry forests burned and charred by flames, with multiple helicopters dropping water from above thick clouds of smoke. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety announced a mandatory evacuation Saturday night for parts of Polk County, home to roughly 20,000 people, 80 miles west of Charlotte. 'We live in a rural area, and so not everyone has internet here or even has great cell service,' Polk County resident Melissa Holland told fire officials at a recent community meeting. 'It's very spotty,' she added. Holland said many residents are relying on word of mouth to hear about orders, but she's hoping for a more consistent line of county communication. CNN has reached out to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety for more information on how many residents were affected by the order, though a shelter was set up in Columbus. 'Visibility in area will be reduced, and roads/evacuation routes can become blocked; if you do not leave now, you could be trapped, injured, or killed,' the department wrote in a post on X. As of Sunday night, the Black Cove Fire, located two miles northeast of Saluda, North Carolina, was more than 2,076 acres in size, while the Deep Woods Fire, 5 miles northwest of Columbus was mapped at 2,545 acres. Both fires remained uncontained. The Fish Hook Fire, on private land near Lake Adger, was last estimated at less than 199 acres. All evacuation orders related to the fire were lifted Sunday night. In a statement issued Sunday, the North Carolina Forest Service said 249 personnel from the state and other parts of the country were working to contain the three wildfires. 'Containment is expected to increase in the coming days, and firefighters will remain on scene until the fire no longer poses a threat,' the service wrote. Four homes have so far been destroyed by the wildfires, according to Polk County spokesperson Kellie Cannon, and a code red air quality alert has been issued. A code red alert means that prolonged exposure to air may be unhealthy for anyone. In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster on Saturday declared a state of emergency as fire crews worked to contain two wildfires in separate counties. The Table Rock Fire in Pickens County, northwest South Carolina, ignited Friday and has grown to more than 1,300 acres, the commission said in a Sunday night update. The Persimmon Ridge Fire, in Greenville County –– the most populous in the state –– was at 800 acres by Sunday evening. At least six aircraft will be deployed for water-dropping missions, the commission said, including one Chinook and two Black Hawks of the state's National Guard, one helicopter from the Law Enforcement Division and two single-engine air tanker Fire Bosses from the Forestry Commission. Both fires, which have prompted a statewide burning ban from Friday night onwards, were human caused, according to the Forestry Commission. Local fire officials have called for voluntary evacuations at residences east of Table Rock State Park. So far, 100 residences have been evacuated. On Sunday, the South Carolina National Guard released video footage showing efforts to fight the dual wildfires. One clip shows a CH-47 Chinook helicopter dropping water over a burning area of the Persimmon Fire, while another video, filmed from a National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk, captures massive plumes of smoke rising from the hills where the Table Rock Fire is located. The South Carolina National Guard said Forestry Commission firefighters were set to conduct operations in the area, focusing on strengthening firebreaks, clearing hazardous trees, and igniting control lines to contain the fire. 'Spot fires continue to spark new ignitions outside of the original fire area. Exacerbating the situation is an abundance of downed timber from Hurricane Helene, which has increased the fuel load on the mountain,' the Forestry Commission said. The deadly storm which swept through parts of the South last September was responsible for the damage of more than 5,000 miles of state-maintained roads and 7,000 private roads, bridges and culverts in North Carolina, according to the Associated Press. A cold front shifting east from Texas this week is expected to bring some relief for firefighters in the Carolinas Monday morning. Peak rainfall will be relatively brief early Monday morning until around 9 a.m. –– while rainfall totals are not expected to be significant. Any rainfall, however, will help to slow the spread of ongoing wildfires. Forecasts indicate that this will be the only round of rainfall expected for the rest of this week, with the next round of rainfall expected from a storm that will impact eastern states by the end of the weekend.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Leave now': Polk County wildfire triples in 8 hours; fires burn over 2,000 acres
Polk County officials are urging some residents who live near uncontrolled fires to "leave now" as two of the fires surge over 1,000 acres each, tripling in size over mere hours. As of 5:30 p.m. on March 21, the Deep Woods Fire near Holbert Cove Road jumped to 1,102 acres with no containment, N.C. Forest Service spokesperson Jeremy Waldrop confirmed. This means the fire more than tripled in size over the course of eight hours, fueled by dropping relative humidity, according to the National Weather Service. Waldrop said the difficult terrain is also contributing to fire growth. "That's really causing a lot of these fires to get bigger because they're having to put those dozer lines and hand lines down in safer places," Waldrop said. In the afternoon, Polk County officials upped the mandatory evacuation for the Deep Woods Fire to the whole Piney Gate area. Visibility in the area will be reduced, and roads or evacuation routes can become blocked. "If you do not leave now, you could be trapped, injured or killed," the county alerted locals. Areas to be evacuated include: Deep Woods Lane Wesley Lane Piney Overlook Lane Piney Gate Rd Gamelands Trail Oakview Lane Volley Way Charity Branch Drive Windsong Ln Moonshine Trace The Black Cove Fire also nearly doubled in size with no containment, growing from 583 acres to 1,083 acres in the Mount Valley community, Waldrop told the Citizen Times around 6 p.m. March 21. The fire was sparked by a downed power line on Green River Cove Road around 2 p.m. on March 19, according to county spokesperson Kellie Cannon. No structures were lost as of Friday morning, but it is unclear if the added acreage brought the fire closer to residential areas. Waldrop said the N.C. Forest Service had a couple helicopters dropping water on both fires March 21, as well as a spotter plane deployed overhead to help guide the firefighting. Most recently, a wildfire erupted from a downed power line near Lake Adger, which officials are calling the Fish Hook fire. It appears the fire has decreased in size, dropping from 190 acres the morning of March 21 to 152 acres as of 5:15 p.m., according to Forest Service estimates. Cannon said the fire destroyed three homes near the river, as well as a garage. Another structure has been damaged, she said. It's not yet clear if additional structures are threatened by Friday evening. The county's Animal Services have resources available to help with the evacuation of pets or large animals. For those who need help loading, trailering, transporting or housing large animals or are evacuating and need a place for your pets, call Patti Lovelace at 828-817-7984. Previous updates: Statewide ban issued as wildfires burn over 1,000 acres in Polk County: 3 homes lost The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning, which indicates high fire danger for several counties across Western North Carolina, including Polk, Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania counties, and more. The warning will be in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 22. NWS expects increased fire danger until 8 p.m. March 21 due to the relative humidity dropping down into the 10-20% range across the region, except higher elevations along the Tennessee border. Although winds will be much lighter than Thursday, March 20, the low relative humidity and dry fuels will cause increased fire danger. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in Raleigh also issued a Code Red Air Quality alert in Polk County, which is expected to worsen on Saturday, March 22. Major fires will continue to produce smoky conditions and degraded air quality near and downstream of the fires, NC DEQ said. The county is collecting donations for families who lost their homes and for the firefighters responding to the fire. Donations can be brought to the following locations: Foothills Community Church at 2720 Landrum Road in Columbus and Friendship Baptist Church at Friendship Church Road in Saluda. Officials ask that donations not be dropped off at local fire stations, as it distracts firefighters from their important tasks. Bottled water, sports drinks, and powered drink mixes, along with snack items, are the biggest needs since they are quick and easy for fire fighters to consume while working, the county's social media said. Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@ and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Polk County wildfire triples in 8 hours; fires burn over 2,000 acres
CBS News
02-03-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Multiple wildfires erupt in the Carolinas, force evacuations and state of emergency declaration
Brush fires that erupted amid dry and windy conditions caused officials in both North and South Carolina to order evacuations Saturday. A fire in North Carolina's Polk County has burned between 400 to 500 acres and was at zero containment, according to Jeremy Waldrop with the North Carolina Fire Service. Waldrop said that structures could be at risk and officials would assess any potential damage Sunday morning. The NCFS on Sunday performed controlled burns to slow down the spread of the blaze and strengthened fire lines that were already in place, officials said. Polk County announced evacuations in a Facebook Post for residents along U.S. Highway 176 between Tryon and Saluda, warning that the fire is spreading rapidly, and multiple departments were working on containment. Tryon has a population of about 1,500 people, while Saluda's is under 1,000. The towns are approximately 40 miles south of Asheville. In South Carolina, Horry County Fire Rescue evacuated residents from several neighborhoods in the Carolina Forest, around 10 miles west of Myrtle Beach, due to a forest fire that has burned over 1,200 acres. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMacter issued a state of emergency on Sunday in response to the ongoing fire that was at zero containment. "We are being evacuated from our neighborhood as winds have increased and shifted," resident Jason Jawz wrote Facebook, posting a video of billowing smoke on Sunday morning. Two planes and a Blackhawk helicopter were seen dropping water on the fire Sunday morning. Tractors also helped dig lines around the blaze in an effort to contain it. By late Sunday afternoon, Horry County Fire Rescue said all residents previously evacuated were able to return home, warning them to watch out for any rekindling and hotspots. A statewide burn ban for all counties was still in effect after over 100 ignitions were reported Saturday, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission. A red flag warning from the National Weather Service expired late Saturday night for western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. Red Flag warnings indicate critical fire weather conditions are either occurring or imminent.
