WEAVERVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Fire broke out at a Hurricane Helene debris collection site early this morning in what is being investigated as a possible criminal act.
Fire crews from the Weaverville Fire Department and Reems Creek Fire Department were dispatched around 4:20 a.m. this morning, Wednesday, Jan. 15 to the Southern Debris Removal collection site.
The fire burned around 32,000 cubic yards of debris and is still smoldering, but representatives from SDR, the Buncombe County Fire Marshal, Weaverville FD, Reems Creek FD and North Carolina Forest Service Law Enforcement Division are on-site monitoring the blaze.
The fire poses no threat to the surrounding community.
“Between Weaverville, Reems Creek and the fire watch, the fire will be contained until it’s mitigated,” said Weaverville Fire Chief Scottie Harris. “There will be around-the-clock fire watch by the fire department and the contractor.”
While the debris site was previously approved for a curtain burn permit by Buncombe County Air Quality, the burn operation had not yet begun. The NC Forest Service Law Enforcement Division is leading an investigation into the incident as a possible criminal act.