2 firefighters treated, released for injuries; Edneyville wildfire now 15% contained

EDNEYVILLE - Two firefighters fighting the 431-acre Poplar Drive Fire along Kyle's Creek Road and Green Mountain Road sustained minor injuries on Nov. 7.

According to Henderson County Communications Chief Mike Morgan, both were taken to UNC Health Pardee, where they were treated and released.

"We’ve had two firefighters who have been injured ... one was an eye injury and one was a leg injury. Both of them were checked out and released," Morgan said.

The North Carolina Forest Service provided this update on social media just before 6 p.m. Nov. 7: "The Poplar Drive Fire in Henderson County is now 15% contained. Percent containment represents sections of fire line that pose no escape risk without further action from firefighters."

Firefighters from across the state, including as far away as Carrituck (located on the coast), have been battling the wildfire, which began on Nov. 3. It started out at 8 acres and by Nov. 5 had grown to 431 acres.

More: Poplar Drive Fire, Day 4: No further structures damaged as fire is still 5% contained

According to Edneyville Fire & Rescue Fire Chief Robert Griffin, the fire was still just 5% contained on Nov. 6.

"Containment is how confident we feel that if we walk away that the fire will not get out and get any larger. So we're still saying 5% ... that may go up a little bit. I can't see us going up past 20% containment at this point and time today," he said at a Nov. 6 news conference at Fruitland Baptist Church.

The wildfire has been making headlines across the state. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced Nov. 6 that the state's price gouging law is in effect in Henderson County after the county declared a state of emergency on Nov. 5, related to the recent wildfires in Western North Carolina.

Stein said anyone who sees price gouging should report it by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or by filing a complaint at https://ncdoj.gov/pricegouging.

“I am thinking of our Western North Carolina communities as they face devastating wildfires and appreciate our first responders for all they are doing to control the situation,” Stein said in a news release. “During this time, if you see price gouging, please report it to my office so we can ensure that people aren’t paying too much for the items they need to recover.”

In North Carolina, the price gouging statute goes into effect when the governor, the legislature, a county or a municipality declare a state of emergency, the release said. Businesses cannot unreasonably raise the price of goods or services to profit from an emergency, Stein said.

More: Poplar Drive Fire: 2 homes lost, fire is now 431 acres, 5% contained

According to Drought.gov, almost all of Henderson County is now in severe drought conditions. Meteorologist Doug Outlaw with the National Weather Service told the Times-News on Nov. 7 that rain is on the way, but that it would be "minimal."

"It'll be dry through Thursday night, when there will be a slight chance of rain," he said. "In the early morning hours of Friday, it increases to a 30% chance of rain. The chance of rain will get up to 60% on Friday afternoon, but the amount of rain will be minimal. At best, we're looking at about a tenth of an inch for Henderson County."

The last time it rained in the county was a couple of weeks ago.

"On Oct. 20, there was .09 inches of rain recorded at the Asheville Regional Airport. For the entire month of October, the total rainfall was 0.7 inches," Outlaw said.

The North Carolina Forest Service and Henderson County Government are expected to have more updates about the fire throughout the day.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: 2 firefighters suffer minor injuries; Edneyville wildfire now 15% contained