ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Western North Carolina is on fire, and residents are reminded the N.C. Forest Service has banned all open burning until further notice. Do not burn outdoors at all!
The Black Cove Fire was mapped at 2,076 acres, the NCFS said in a statement Sunday night. The fire burning on state-owned and private land in the Green River Gorge, about 2 miles northeast of Saluda was 0 percent contained. The Deep Woods Fire was mapped at 2,545 acres. The fire on state-owned and private land in the Green River Gorge and in neighboring Holbert Cove community, about 5 miles northwest of Columbus, was 0 percent contained Sunday night.
The Fish Hook Fire was mapped at 199 acres, the NCFS said Sunday night. The fire burning on private land near Lake Adger, about 5 miles northwest of Mill Spring. was 50 percent contained and forward progress has been stopped.
Several mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for those areas of Polk Couty, and an emergency shelter is available at 75 Carmel Lane in Columbus.
Henderson County officials recommended voluntary evacuations of residents in the Laurel Mountain View Road and Boulder View Road areas because of the Polk County wildfires.
An emergency shelter is open in Henderson County at the Parks & Recreation Athletics and Activity Center, 708 South Grove St., Hendersonville.
Because of the wildfires in Polk County, a Code Orange Air Quality Alert has been issued for Henderson County effective through Monday at midnight. Polk County is under a Code Red Alert.
Under a Code Orange, older adults, children, active people and those with heart or lung disease may experience health effects. Under a Code Red, everyone may experience health effects from prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.
People should limit prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. Older adults, children, active people and those with heart or lung disease may experience health effects. Limit prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.
Monitor the fires and their statuses by clicking here.
Monitor the fire danger levels in North Carolina by clicking here.
Information on how you can resist wildfire danger at your home can be found here.
Please make sure you have emergency alerts enabled on your cell phone to get the latest information from your county emergency management officials.
South Carolina fires
The South Carolina Forestry Commission, along with multiple cooperators, is now managing the Table Rock Complex. A complex is any large incident, in this case wildfires, involving two or more emergency response situations in the same vicinity. The Table Rock complex now consists of the Table Rock Fire in Pickens County and the Persimmon Ridge Fire in Greenville County.
Both fires saw significant growth over the weekend because of winds and the inaccessibility of the steep, mountainous terrain.
The Table Rock Fire, which ignited Friday, had grown to more than 1,300 acres by Sunday, fire officials said. That estimate includes several hundred acres that were part of a burnout conducted by wildland firefighters to eliminate the fuels between evacuated residential areas and the many active wildfire fronts. The fire is 0 percent contained.
The Persimmon Ridge Fire, which started in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area between Caesars Head State Park and Jones Gap State Park on Saturday, had grown to more than 800 acres by Sunday, despite dozens of water drops by SCFC and SLED aircraft. The fire is 0 percent contained.
More water-drop missions were planned for both fires Monday.
Voluntary evacuations of about 100 residences remain in effect just east of Table Rock State Park.
A statewide burning ban is in effect until further notice. A State Forester’s Burning Ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including yard debris burning, prescribed burning, campfires, bonfires and other recreational fires in all unincorporated areas of the state.