Latest news with #NCFS
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
What you need to know about the Polk County wildfires
POLK COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) – A community meeting was held to inform and update the public on the multiple wildfires in Polk County. Here are the highlights of the meeting and the current status of the wildfires: Black Cove: The Black Cove fire began on Wednesday, March 18, and has reached up to 2,000+ acres as of today. There is currently 0% containment. The North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS) said that they have been using aircraft and removing debris left from Hurricane Helene to prevent the fire from spreading further north. Deep Woods: The Deep Woods fire was spotted while officials were focusing on the Black Cove fire. The NCFS said that they are currently focusing on preventing the fire from spreading to nearby homes and residences near Piney Mountain. As of today, the Deep Woods fire has reached up to 2,500+ acres, and is currently at 0% containment. Fish Hook: The Fish Hook Fire was reported on Thursday, March 20 due to strong winds in the area, according to the NCFS. The Fish Hook fire is currently at 190+ acres, and is at 50% containment. The NCFS stated that the Fish Hook fire has been easier to manage due to being closer to a neighborhood, therefore providing easier access to resources such as paved roads. Currently the NCFS is patrolling the area and ensuring that the fire does not spread to residences. The Polk County Emergency Management (PCEM) said that they are currently working on retrieving more resources for the Forest Service to continue combatting the wildfires. PCEM is in contact with State Emergency Management and FEMA to receive more aid as multiple wildfires around the state continue to appear and further limit resources. The Polk County Sheriff's Office state that they have officers patrolling the evacuated areas in order to prevent looting. The Sheriff's Office asks that, if you have any animals that were left during the evacuation, to contact animal control. Officials are currently contacting departments in other states, such as Tennessee and Alabama, to receive more resources and man power. Due to wildfires in other states, it is difficult to acquire outside resources. Authorities ask people to continue avoiding the areas while crews are working to contain the fires. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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.
Express Tribune
07-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
FinMin for moving beyond policy prescriptions
Listen to article ISLAMABD: Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday stressed the need for adopting the policies framed to address climate change-related challenges on a fast-track basis by moving beyond "policy prescriptions." "There is no dearth of policy prescriptions; it is all about how and who. I sincerely hope this conference will address the operationalisation issues," he said at an international climate change conference titled "Breathe Pakistan." He said Pakistan was one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and urgently needed to make mitigation efforts. However, the real and bigger issue was the adoption of policies in true letter and spirit. In that regard, he cited the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the National Climate Finance Strategy (NCFS) that Pakistan announced in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024. The launch of the strategy took place at the United Nations-led global climate conference, COP29, setting forth a framework to scale up climate-related investments, attract international financing and strengthen domestic financial systems. It also called for enhancing resilience of different sectors, clarifying institutional roles and improving access to diverse funding channels. He said the NCFS had been aligned with Pakistan's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement with the aim of closing the estimated $348 billion climate finance gap by 2030. The minister expressed gratitude to the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) group, which was working on a comprehensive climate prosperity plan, expected to be unveiled in April. Aurangzeb mentioned that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) would issue comprehensive guidelines on a green economy framework, including how to structure, monitor and finance green initiatives. "It is important to have a green economy framework as we move forward," he remarked. He also commented on the pledges made by donors, world-leading financial institutions and countries at various sessions of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Turning to the national economy, the finance minister noted that Pakistan had made significant progress on the macroeconomic front in the last 12 to 14 months with inflation dropping to 2.4% in January. "More importantly, on the back of this macroeconomic stability, we are executing structural reforms and strengthening the tax net," he said and praised the provincial governments for passing legislation on the agricultural income tax, which was "a key step towards expanding the tax net." He talked about the government's austerity measures, highlighting the rightsizing efforts targeted at the federal ministries and attached departments, in addition to abolishing the vacant posts as part of earlier announcements to curtail state expenditures. During the day, Finance Minister Aurangzeb also held separate meetings with former caretaker finance ministers Shahid Javed Burki and Shamshad Akhtar at the Finance Division. In the meetings, views were exchanged on Pakistan's economic progress and the government's strategic efforts to restore macroeconomic stability and lay the foundation for sustainable economic growth.
