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.
“A lot of heavy fuels we’ve seen on the ground currently,” Waldrop added.
While in South Carolina the governor declared a 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.
Reported by CNN
