Rain finally arrives in WNC; did it help control Edneyville Fire, how much fell?

The much-anticipated rainfall Nov. 10 and 11 across the mountains was not enough to make a dent in the Poplar Drive Fire in Henderson County. As the fire near Edneyville enters its ninth day, it remains at 434 acres and 50% contained, according to a Nov. 11 morning update from the North Carolina Forest Service.

Percent containment represents sections of fire line that pose no escape risk without further action from firefighters. On Nov. 8, Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency due to existing and potential wildfires in North Carolina.

A N.C. Forest Service report issued about 7 p.m. Nov. 10 had the Poplar Drive fire at the same size.

"Firefighters will continue to benefit from the rain and cooler temperatures to work aggressively on mop-up operations, strengthen containment lines with dozer equipment and hand crews, and press further into the smoldering areas of the fire," according to the Nov. 11 news release.

Water handling operations with drop tanks, water tender equipment and hose lays will continue throughout Saturday. Drone operations to assess heat signatures within the fire footprint will resume once the rain dissipates.

According to the National Weather Service based in Greer, South Carolina, very little rain fell in the fire area over the past two days.

"In the 24 hours from 7 a.m. (Nov. 10) to 7 a.m. this morning, the Poplar Fire area got between .12 and .15 inches of rain. They may get a little bit early Sunday, maybe a couple hundreths of an inch," said NWS meteorologist Jeffrey Taylor.

He said after Nov. 12 rain is not expected again until Nov. 15 or 15, when a half-inch could fall.

The Asheville area also received very little rain over the past 24 hours, Taylor said, with .04 inches of rainfall Nov. 10 and so far on Saturday, there has been .11 inches of rain.

The high temperatures Nov. 11 are expected to reach 55 degrees, with a low overnight around 41, high on Sunday around 52 and overnight Sunday, low hovering around freezing.

Much of Western North Carolina is in moderate to severe drought. The departure from normal, not including Nov. 11, is 11.79 inches below normal value for year to date rainfall, Taylor said.

See a map of fires burning across Western North Carolina at https://data.citizen-times.com/fires.

The Poplar Drive fire was first reported Nov. 3. The cause has not yet been determined.

One home, two cabins and three outbuildings have been lost, while another home sustained damage. Area homes remain threatened, and N.C. Forest Service personnel, county fire department and sheriff’s office staff are continually assessing the needs of those structures. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Two firefighters sustained minor injuries and both were treated and released. Four minor motor vehicle accidents have been reported with no injuries.

Personnel with the N.C. Forest Service, N.C. Emergency Management, Office of State Fire Marshal, Henderson County Emergency Management, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, Edneyville Fire Department along with numerous other fire departments from across the state are responding to the incident.

More: Hendersonville vineyard owner describes Poplar Drive Fire, community response

Fire Behavior: Minimal smoldering remains within the fire footprint. Potential for fire reignition is elevated due to leaf fall and snags.

Weather: Bearwallow remote access weather station received 0.31 inches of rain Friday night into Saturday morning, registering the most rain across the state during that timeframe. Rain continues to fall in the area of the fire Saturday morning. Accumulation of appreciable rain is not forecast for the next several days.

More: Open burning banned in 14 WNC counties as fires grow, 'severe' drought continues

Burn Ban Notice: Effective 5 p.m. Nov. 8, a burn ban was issued for Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Catawba, Haywood, Iredell, Lincoln, Madison, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties. Effective 5 p.m. Nov. 5, a burn ban was issued for Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain and Transylvania counties. Both bans remain in effect until further notice.

Temporary Flight Restriction: A “TFR” is in place at an altitude from the surface up to and including 7,500 feet, daily (24 hours) until further notice. Complete information is at https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_3_8718.html. Flying drones within a TFR designated area is unlawful. Flying a drone near or around a wildfire compromises the safety of pilots and interferes with firefighting efforts. Flying a drone near or around a wildfire compromises the safety of pilots and interferes with firefighting efforts.

Poplar Drive by the numbers:

Fire discovered: Nov. 3, 2023

Acreage: 434 acres

Containment: 50%

Personnel and Equipment: 140 personnel

Cost: $518,000.

For Poplar Drive Fire updates, visit ncforestservice.gov/fire_control/sit_report.htm  or follow the N.C. Forest Service on Facebook at facebook.com/NCForestService.

Several other wildfires continue to burn across WNC, including the Collett Ridge Fire in the Nantahala National Forest in Cherokee County, now at more than 5,000 acres and 5% containment, and the East Fork Fire, at 95%, U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Adrianna Rubiaco told the Citizen Times Nov. 10. The fire remains at around 300 acres.

More: Update: 77 residences threatened near Edneyville as WNC wildfires burn nearly 6,000 acres

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Edneyville Fire Henderson County rainfall