ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A suspicious item discovered late Sunday morning prompted an evacuation and temporary road closure along the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Folk Art Center, National Park Service officials said in a news release.
At about 11:45 a.m., personnel from the National Park Service, Asheville Police Department Bomb Squad, Federal Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and Asheville and Riceville fire and EMS units responded to a report of the item, which was in a dirt pull-off near the intersection to the center, the release said.
The Folk Art Center was evacuated and a section of the parkway was temporarily closed as a precaution. Authorities safely removed the item. No other details about the item were released.
There are no known threats to the public at this time.
The National Park Service’s Investigative Services Branch is leading the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Investigative Services Branch by calling 888-653-0009, submitting a tip online or emailing nps_isb@nps.gov.