Latest news with #NorthForkFire
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
North Fork Fire in McDowell Co. up to 350 acres, now 40% contained
MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) – The North Fork Fire in McDowell County, which has burned around 350 acres, is now 40% contained. The United States Forest Service said there are around 100 personnel fighting the wildfire, which is burning just east of U.S. 221 in the northern part of McDowell County. The fire is located south of American Thread Road along the cliffs above the North Fork of the Catawba River in Pisgah National Forest, officials said. Crews began burnout operations Thursday to remove fuel from the fires along the containment lines. According to the U.S. Forest Service, crews are working to hold and improve fire lines Friday ahead of anticipated light rainfall which is expected to help increase containment. Smoke from the fire is expected to lessen throughout the day and into the weekend but areas of smoke may continue to impact people in the North Cove, Woodlawn, Marion and Lake James areas. Bald Mountain Road, Graveyard Mountain Road and the Mountains to Sea Trail between U.S. 221 and FSR 106 will remain closed. There's no word yet on what sparked the fire. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Drone Footage Shows Wildfire Burning in North Carolina
Drone footage captured a wildfire burning over McDowell County in western North Carolina on Wednesday, January 29, as crews continued to battle another wildfire in the area. This footage captured by Side by Side Media shows the Crooked Creek Fire burning just over 20 miles away from Asheville, North Carolina, on Wednesday. According to a local news report, crews were also battling the North Fork Fire near the Woodlawn community. McDowell County Emergency Management said that the Crooked Creek Fire, which was caused by a downed power line during high winds on Wednesday, had burned 220 acres and was 55 percent contained as of Thursday afternoon. Evacuation orders for the area were lifted on Thursday morning, local news reported. Credit: Side by Side Media via Storyful
USA Today
30-01-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
A community was hit hard by Hurricane Helene. They are now dealing with raging wildfires.
A North Carolina area, McDowell County, still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene is facing yet another natural disaster in the form of wildfires. Old Fort, a town of roughly 800 located in McDowell County, was hit with evacuation orders Wednesday afternoon after the Crooked Creek wildfire broke out, the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. As of noon ET Thursday, McDowell County's Office of Emergency Management said 220 acres had burned and the fire was 55% contained. Evacuation orders were lifted at 8 a.m. but emergency personnel will remain on-site to monitor the situation and ensure containment of the fire. One home was damaged and multiple outbuildings were destroyed, said the agency's Thursday afternoon announcement. The county said in its afternoon update that the fire was caused by a downed power line during high winds on Wednesday. No injuries have been reported. The North Carolina Forest Service Wildfire Public Viewer showed that McDowell County was contending with three active wildfires Wednesday including the Crooked Creek Fire in Old Fort and the North Fork Fire in Marion. Evacuation orders lifted:Old Fort wildfire burns 220 acres, now 55% contained North Carolina communities still reeling from Helene The last few months have been anything but easy for Old Fort and other communities across Western North Carolina. Hurricane Helene slammed into North Carolina in late September, impacting the Western part of the state particularly hard. At a legislative meeting on Wednesday, local officials told state lawmakers that WNC will need "billions more dollars from the federal and state government to accomplish its recovery goals," reported AP. The region saw historic flooding that resulted in roughly $60 billion in damages when the storm hit. AP also reported that the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency made a call on Thursday for the legislature to provide $217 million in funds to complete construction on more than 1,000 Eastern North Carolina homes destroyed by Hurricanes Matheew and Florence in 2016 and 2018. The Citizen Times reported that on Jan. 2, Gov. Josh Stein signed his first executive order to bring more temporary housing units — in the form of travel trailers — to WNC while the state's senators have called on President Joe Biden to bring more housing to the region in a Jan. 8 letter to the president. Between 121,000 and 132,000 homes in WNC were estimated to be damaged by Helene, according to North Carolina's Office of State Budget and Management. With over 5,700 households in FEMA-funded hotels at the beginning of the month, around 3,500, were set to be given the boot by Jan. 12, leaving residents scrambling for housing, reported the Citizen Times earlier this month. As of the Citizen Time's Jan. 13 report, FEMA had placed 93 households in temporary housing units, but roughly 12,000 WNC residents remained displaced after Helene.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
A community was hit hard by Hurricane Helene. They are now dealing with raging wildfires.
A North Carolina area, McDowell County, still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene is facing yet another natural disaster in the form of wildfires. Old Fort, a town of roughly 800 located in McDowell County, was hit with evacuation orders Wednesday afternoon after the Crooked Creek wildfire broke out, the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. As of noon ET Thursday, McDowell County's Office of Emergency Management said 220 acres had burned and the fire was 55% contained. Evacuation orders were lifted at 8 a.m. but emergency personnel will remain on-site to monitor the situation and ensure containment of the fire. One home was damaged and multiple outbuildings were destroyed, said the agency's Thursday afternoon announcement. The county said in its afternoon update that the fire was caused by a downed power line during high winds on Wednesday. No injuries have been reported. The North Carolina Forest Service Wildfire Public Viewer showed that McDowell County was contending with three active wildfires Wednesday including the Crooked Creek Fire in Old Fort and the North Fork Fire in Marion. Evacuation orders lifted: Old Fort wildfire burns 220 acres, now 55% contained The last few months have been anything but easy for Old Fort and other communities across Western North Carolina. Hurricane Helene slammed into North Carolina in late September, impacting the Western part of the state particularly hard. At a legislative meeting on Wednesday, local officials told state lawmakers that WNC will need "billions more dollars from the federal and state government to accomplish its recovery goals," reported AP. The region saw historic flooding that resulted in roughly $60 billion in damages when the storm hit. AP also reported that the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency made a call on Thursday for the legislature to provide $217 million in funds to complete construction on more than 1,000 Eastern North Carolina homes destroyed by Hurricanes Matheew and Florence in 2016 and 2018. The Citizen Times reported that on Jan. 2, Gov. Josh Stein signed his first executive order to bring more temporary housing units — in the form of travel trailers — to WNC while the state's senators have called on President Joe Biden to bring more housing to the region in a Jan. 8 letter to the president. Between 121,000 and 132,000 homes in WNC were estimated to be damaged by Helene, according to North Carolina's Office of State Budget and Management. With over 5,700 households in FEMA-funded hotels at the beginning of the month, around 3,500, were set to be given the boot by Jan. 12, leaving residents scrambling for housing, reported the Citizen Times earlier this month. As of the Citizen Time's Jan. 13 report, FEMA had placed 93 households in temporary housing units, but roughly 12,000 WNC residents remained displaced after Helene. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wildfires hit McDowell County in NC still reeling from Helene
