Marshall wildfire at 55 acres, 70% contained, N.C. Forest Service says

Johnny Casey, Asheville Citizen Times
·2 min read
A Feb. 20 wildfire off of East Fork Road in Marshall impacted roughly 55 acres, according to the N.C. Forest Service.
A Feb. 20 wildfire off of East Fork Road in Marshall impacted roughly 55 acres, according to the N.C. Forest Service.
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MARSHALL - The North Carolina Forest Service continues to fight a roughly 55-acre Marshall wildfire that broke out Feb. 20.

Bo Dossett, the Madison County ranger with the N.C. Forest Service, said the fire, which is located on Dan Branch off of East Fork Road in Marshall, was 70% contained as of 11:30 a.m. Feb. 22.

Dossett said while 13 structures were threatened, none were damaged.

The Mars Hill Fire Department and crews with The Nature Conservancy also assisted with the fire, and crews were dispatched to the area around 2:10 p.m. on Feb. 20, Dossett said.

According to Dossett, the crews with The Nature Conservancy were assisting with a prescribed burn in Hot Springs on Feb. 20.

A wildfire off of East Fork Road in Marshall is now 70% contained, and has impacted roughly 55 acres, according to the N.C. Forest Service.
A wildfire off of East Fork Road in Marshall is now 70% contained, and has impacted roughly 55 acres, according to the N.C. Forest Service.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Dossett said.

According to an N.C. Forest Service report, when firefighters arrived on scene, the fire was estimated at approximately 5 to 10 acres in size, burning in hardwood leaf litter and Chinese silvergrass, commonly called "pampas grass," moving rapidly up the mountain toward Dan Knob.

At that time, additional resources were called, including a BRIDGE Program inmate crew, in addition to The Nature Conservancy and Mars Hill Fire Department crew members. In total, about 25 people were working the fire, Dossett said.

"The fire spread rapidly due to shifting winds and steep terrain," Dossett said in the report. "The fire burned into the evening Feb. 20 with the N.C. Forest Service staff remaining on scene throughout the night. During the day of Feb. 21, firefighters conducted strategic backfiring operations to consume fuels between the fire and houses at the bottom of the ridge along Dan Branch and Meadow Branch roads."

A wildfire off of East Fork Road in Marshall is now 70% contained, and has impacted roughly 55 acres, according to the N.C. Forest Service.
A wildfire off of East Fork Road in Marshall is now 70% contained, and has impacted roughly 55 acres, according to the N.C. Forest Service.

More: Pampas grass causes problems Mars Hill wildfire 'worst in a couple years,' according to state forest service ranger

More: App. Trail temporarily closed Appalachian Trail temporarily closed in Hot Springs

The county is in the midst of its spring fire season, which typically runs from the middle of February to the end of April or early May.

The N.C. Forest Service said it does not expect significant growth of the fire, and firefighters will continue to monitor the fire until the area receives significant rainfall.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Marshall wildfire at 55 acres, 70% contained, N.C. Forest Service says