Wildfire rages near popular tourist destinations in the NC mountains Saturday

Joe Marusak
·2 min read
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A wildfire sparked by lightning raged Saturday near popular tourist destinations in the North Carolina mountains, U.S. Forest Service officials said.

Several hiking trails are closed, and rangers urged drivers on U.S. 221 North in McDowell County to use caution.

The fire burned late Saturday afternoon in an area north of Marion and west of the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area in McDowell County, according to a Forest Service news release at 4 p.m.

Nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the East, Linville Gorge is the deepest, most rugged gorge in the Eastern U.S., according to Blue Ridge Heritage.com.

“The fire is estimated at 6 acres with no current containment,” officials said in the release.

The wildfire burned in an area north of Marion and west of the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area in McDowell County, U.S. Forest Service rangers said.
The wildfire burned in an area north of Marion and west of the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area in McDowell County, U.S. Forest Service rangers said.

By Monday, the fire grew to 8 acres and was 25% contained, the Forest Service said in an update.

A lightning strike started the fire on Friday, investigators determined.

A large number of downed, dead trees were fueling hot spots, according to the service.

Minimal rain fell overnight Saturday, and the fire continued to burn Monday “with low intensity along a dry ridge,” according to the Forest Service.

The Dobson Knob No. 2 Fire, as the Forest Service calls it, was reported Friday evening, rangers said.

The fire burned on the north side of Dobson Knob near the North Cove community. The area is rocky and remote and has a history of wildfires, rangers said.

The fire is about 110 miles northwest of Charlotte.

Firefighters focused from the start Friday night on protecting private property and any nearby structures, according to the Forest Service. The fire burned Saturday on U.S. Forest Service lands and a small portion of private property, officials said. No injuries have been reported.

“No structures are at immediate risk,” according to the service.

To protect the public and firefighters, trail closures are in place for the Mountains to Sea Trail from the north fork of the Catawba River to Dobson Knob Road on the west side of Linville Gorge.

Trail closures are in place for the Mountains to Sea Trail from the north fork of the Catawba River to Dobson Knob Road on the west side of Linville Gorge in McDowell County, rangers said.
Trail closures are in place for the Mountains to Sea Trail from the north fork of the Catawba River to Dobson Knob Road on the west side of Linville Gorge in McDowell County, rangers said.

North Cove, Woodlawn and Linville Falls communities may experience smoke. The heaviest amounts of smoke are expected overnight and later Sunday morning as the smoke settles in low-lying areas.

Linville Gorge Wilderness Area in Pisgah National Forest was among the first areas to be included in the National Wilderness System with the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964.

The fire was burning Monday in a rocky knob that has “a large amount of dry, receptive fuels,” officials said in the update.

However, the forest canopy surrounding the knob has “less receptive fuels,” and that will help slow the spread of the fire, according to the Forest Service.

The area is “generally inaccessible,” so it’s unsafe to send in firefighters, according to Monday’s update.

The U.S. Forest Service released this photo of the fire on Monday, July 31, 2023.
The U.S. Forest Service released this photo of the fire on Monday, July 31, 2023.

Twenty-five firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, North Carolina Forest Service, McDowell County Emergency Management, and the North Cove Volunteer Fire Department responded to the fire.