Fueled by ongoing wildfires, a mandatory evacuation was ordered in one North Carolina county. Emergency responders are battling multiple fires in an area still recovering from Hurricane Helene. In South Carolina, the governor declared a state of emergency due to a growing wildfire.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety issued a mandatory evacuation for parts of Polk County in western North Carolina, approximately 80 miles west of Charlotte, beginning at 8:20 p.m. Saturday.
“Area visibility will be limited, and roads/evacuation routes may become blocked. Remaining could lead to entrapment, injury, or death,” the agency stated in a social media announcement.
The public safety department announced the opening of a shelter in Columbus, North Carolina.
According to the North Carolina Forest Service’s online wildfire tracker, three active fires are burning in Polk County, with the two largest ranging from 1.7 to 1.9 square miles. Additional fires are active in Burke and Madison counties, and another is burning in Stokes County, near the Virginia border.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on Saturday to combat the Table Rock Fire in Pickens County, which began the previous day in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
“The State of Emergency allows for the rapid deployment of resources, ensuring our firefighters have the necessary support to protect lives and property as this wildfire spreads,” McMaster stated. The declaration reinforces a statewide outdoor burning ban issued Friday by the South Carolina Forestry Commission.
Local fire officials requested voluntary evacuations for some residents near Table Rock Mountain on Saturday, according to the forestry commission.
The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office reported late Saturday that operations had ceased for the night and would resume Sunday morning with ground crews, equipment, helicopters, and air tankers. The fire covered approximately 110 acres, and the public was advised to avoid state Highway 11.
Western North Carolina was previously impacted by Hurricane Helene in September, which caused extensive damage, including washing away over a mile of eastbound lanes on Interstate 40 towards eastern Tennessee. The interstate remained partially closed until March.
The hurricane damaged or affected 5,000 miles of state-maintained roads and 7,000 private roads, bridges, and culverts in North Carolina.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is fighting a wildfire in Wharton State Forest that began on Saturday. By early Sunday morning, the fire had consumed about 2.7 square miles, with firefighters having contained approximately half of it, according to an 8 a.m. update on the service’s Facebook page.
Emergency officials have evacuated two campgrounds in the park. While 18 buildings are located near the fire, the flames are moving away from them, and no structures have been evacuated.
The fire’s cause is currently being investigated.
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