ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Fire crews across Western North Carolina continued working multiple wildfires Thursday as dry, windy conditions fueled new flare-ups and slowed containment efforts.
Buncombe County officials said the Enka fire reached 100 percent containment by late afternoon after burning 22 acres. Crews were expected to remain on scene for several more hours and return Friday morning to monitor hot spots.
The Fairview fire was 70 percent contained at 15 acres by Thursday evening, with firefighters still working to secure full containment. According to the North Carolina Forest Service’s Wildfire Public Viewer, the fire off Lower Brush Creek Road had consumed 28 acres and was 85 percent contained by Thursday night.
Fairview Volunteer Fire Department officials said crews were battling the wind-driven blaze as it burned through trees downed during Tropical Storm Helene. No structures were in immediate danger, but fire trucks and UTV units were staged near homes as a precaution.
Firefighters urged the public to avoid Lower Brush Creek Road, saying sightseers trying to view the flames were blocking access for emergency vehicles.
Elsewhere in the region, officials reported a 2-acre wildfire in Madison County that was 75 percent contained, and two small fires in McDowell County that reached 100 percent containment.
Buncombe County fire officials on Thursday again asked residents to refrain from open burning, citing heightened fire danger. While no burn ban has been issued, the fire marshal warned that even small fires can spread rapidly under current weather conditions.
The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg said Thursday’s warm, dry afternoon mirrored conditions from the previous day, when several brush fires were reported across the region. Forecasters advised residents to use extreme caution with any outdoor burning.