Important Takeaways:
- Parts of western North Carolina, still reeling from devastating floods driven by Hurricane Helene in September, are now under siege from wildfires.
- Firefighters converged on rural Polk County to battle at least three blazes that have scorched over 5,700 acres, destroyed at least three homes and multiple other buildings, and forced mandatory evacuations. The fire response effort has been hindered by regional impacts from Helene, as debris remains in forests and some roads.
- The two largest blazes in what’s known as the Black Cove Complex fires have burned more than 5,500 acres in Polk County and were 0% contained late Monday, the state Forest Service said. Both have been burning since Wednesday and gained ground Monday despite the efforts of 263 firefighters from North Carolina and eight other states.
- “The Black Cove Fire is moving into Henderson County along Big Hungry Creek Road, where firefighters are attempting to slow the spread of the fire and protect structures,” the Forest Service said in a late-afternoon update Monday.
- Dry conditions that have prevailed in the area for weeks are expected overnight and later in the week, along with windy conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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Important Takeaways:
- Three wildfires in western North Carolina are proving challenging for firefighters to beat because of rough terrain and debris left behind by Hurricane Helene.
- The Black Cove, Deep Woods and Fish Hook fires continue burning in Polk County, an area devastated by Helene almost six months ago.
- The Black Cove Fire, which began last Wednesday, has burned 2,076 acres and had no containment as of Sunday afternoon. Fire officials said it was started by a downed power line.
- Meanwhile, the Deep Woods Fire is the largest at 1,802 acres and also remains 0% contained.
- Officials said evacuation orders are in place for several areas surrounding the Black Cove and Deep Woods fires. The communities under evacuation orders in Polk County are near the Henderson County line.
- Emergency management officials in Henderson County issued a voluntary evacuation notice on Sunday to residents in the Laurel Mountain View Road and Boulder View Road areas because of the fires in neighboring Polk County.
- The Fish Hook Fire has burned 199 acres and is 50% contained. Officials said at least six structures have been lost in the fire.
- An air crew from the National Guard joined efforts to douse the Persimmon Ridge Fire in Greenville, South Carolina, according to the South Carolina National Guard. The fire, which erupted on Sunday morning, had spread to around 100 acres. The cause of the fire has not been reported.
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