Update: 300-acre Pogue Mountain fire in McDowell County 70% contained

The 350-acre Pogue Mountain Fire near Marion is nearly three-quarters contained, according to the North Carolina Forest Service, where so far no structures have burned and no injuries have been reported.

The fire, also called the Huntsville Mountain Fire, started the night of Nov. 30, though the cause is still under investigation, said Forest Service fire information officer Jeremy Waldrop.

Roughly 50 firefighters from the state Forest Service and North Carolina State Parks are working the fire, alongside local fire departments lending personnel and equipment to protect 10 structures that have been threatened, he said.

Will Kehler, McDowell County Emergency Services Director, said the 10 structures were along Marlowe and Fat Wall roads, though as of around 3:40 Dec. 2, none were in imminent danger.

"There have been multiple fire departments from across McDowell County assisting with structure protection as well as medical standby support for fire personnel working the fire line," he said.

Waldrop said no evacuations are in effect, and no injuries have been reported.

Crews continue to put down fire lines with hand crews and bulldozers, he said, with plans Dec. 2 to conduct burnout operations to reduce dry, unburned fuel between fire lines and the active fire.

More: Amid abnormally dry November, Asheville issues burn ban, including fire pits, campfires

The fire comes at the tail end of an unusually dry November that's prompted a statewide burn ban as the state battles multiple fires, including the 1,100-acre Pilot Mountain fire, and the city of Asheville reports an increase in brush fire-related incidents.

The Marion area saw 1.31 inches of rain in November, its lowest monthly total since 0.36 inches in November 2012, and among the top-10 driest on record in the past 100 years, according to the National Weather Service.

In 2020, Marion reported 5.55 inches of rain for all of November.

Waldrop said crews are keeping an eye on the weather which, according to the Weather Service, was clear with 25% humidity and a 9 mile-per-hour wind at about 3:30 p.m. Dec. 2 measured at the Rutherford County Airport, about 13 miles from the site of the fire.

"We're always having to pay attention to the wind," he said. "It's a little breezy right now."

Crews are accessing the fire from David and Joe Bowman Drive off of Tatertown Loop, he said, followed by travel on logging roads and 20-30 minutes on utility vehicles, calling the area steep, rocky and remote.

"I think one of the biggest things is the remoteness of the fire," he said. "The terrain is a safety issue for the firefighters."

Crews have to pay attention to that terrain, Waldrop said, which in some places is limiting the type of equipment they can use to create fire lines.

He said aircraft haven't yet been called out to assist, but are ready to do so if needed, and a Dec. 2 release from the state Forest Service asks locals to not fly drones around the fire, as they're a safety hazard if other aircraft do need to be deployed.

It hasn't yet been an issue at this fire, but it has become an issue at other fires, Waldrop said, with people getting curious for a look at the fire, but whenever a drone is in the air, it's seen as a hazard and firefighting aircraft can't fly.

The statewide air quality forecast for Dec. 3 noted Buncombe, McDowell, and the majority of all North Carolina counties as code yellow, or moderate, meaning that unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.

Those 50 personnel working the fire were all on the day shift, Waldrop said, and officials were evaluating whether to employ a night shift. Overnight Dec. 1, he said a small crew worked the fire.

Anyone who wants to donate and support firefighters should contact their local fire departments to find out how to help, the release says.

Derek Lacey covers health care, growth and development for the Asheville Citizen Times. Reach him at DLacey@gannett.com or 828-417-4842 and find him on Twitter @DerekAVL.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Pogue Mountain fire near Marion is more than halfway contained