WNC wildfires still burning after 2 days of rain, burn bans still in effect; what to know
Light rainfall over the Western North Carolina mountains in the past two days was welcome, but not enough to keep the region's largest wildfire, the Collett Ridge Fire, from growing.
Jeffrey Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greer, South Carolina, said .04 inches of rain fell Nov. 10 over the Asheville area, and so far on Nov. 11 there has been .11 inches of rainfall.
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.
North Carolina remains under a state of emergency as wildfires continue to burn throughout the western mountains, with moderate-to-severe drought in the area causing an increased fire risk. Here is a rundown of wildfires burning in WNC:
Collett Ridge Fire
The largest wildfire burning in WNC grew another couple hundred acres overnight. The fire, which was first detected Oct. 23 in the Cherokee County area of Nantahala National Forest, is at 5,335 acres and 15% containment, according to a Nov. 11 update by the U.S. Forest Service.
There are now 244 personnel assigned to the Collett Fire, which was ignited by a lightning strike. The cost of fighting the fire so far is $2.7 million.
Fire behavior was moderated Nov. 10 due to the cold front that passed through the area, bringing cloud cover, cooler temperatures, increased humidity, and light precipitation, according to the update. The forecast calls for these conditions to through the morning of Nov. 12.
Firefighters will continue to build and improve containment lines in the area of Snider’s Creek Road and McClellan Road Saturday to the northwest of the fire. Engines remained on scene throughout the night to provide point protection for structures. Crews will patrol near the communities of Bolden Branch and Lord’s Way and perform mop-up operations, such as extinguishing any lingering hotspots, as needed.
See a map of fires are burning across Western North Carolina at https://data.citizen-times.com/fires.
To the northeast of the fire in the Kimsey Cove area, hand lines were completed, and crews will take advantage of the fire-moderating weather to work on contingency lines to the east. Fire activity along Shinbone Ridge on the southern edge of the fire has been minimal, and fire managers anticipate patrol and mop-up operations to begin soon.
Resources assigned to the fire includes, five 20-person hand crews, Type 4 and 6 Engines; Dozers; and Water Tenders. Aerial resources include three helicopters.
A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Collett Ridge Fire area. Aircraft or drone intrusions into the restricted airspace endangers aircrews conducting fire operations and aerial resources are grounded for safety. This unnecessarily places aircrews and ground fire crews at risk in a dynamic and dangerous fire environment, according to the Forest Service update.
Road closures are in effect from Big Stamp east to Shinbone Ridge to Signal Bald and a road closure is in effect from the intersection of Little Fires Creek Road/340B, and Fires Creek Road/340. The Rim Trail is temporarily closed for approximately 7 miles from Big Stamp to Shinbone.
Poplar Drive Fire
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. The fire was first reported Nov. 3. The cause has not yet been determined.
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"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.
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.
The cost of fighting the Poplar Drive Fire is estimated to be more than $500,000 to date.
DuPont State Recreational Forest Fire
A fire in DuPont State Recreational Forest is now 100% contained, sitting at 36 acres, spokesperson Kirsten McDonald told the Citizen Times Nov. 10. About 5-10 acres of the fire are on DuPont State Forest land, while the rest is burning on private land.
“The area is now being regularly patrolled and monitored because of continued leaf fall and the extreme dryness of the ground,” McDonald said.
No structures have been lost or threatened by the DuPont fire, and no injuries have been sustained. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to McDonald.
The Citizen Times reached out Nov. 11 to the N.C. State Forest Service for an udpate.
East Fork Fire
The East Fork Fire in Jackson County, as of Nov. 9, is 300 acres and 95% contained, U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Adrianna Rubiaco told the Citizen Times Nov. 10. The Citizen Times reached out Nov. 11 for an update.
“Now firefighters are patrolling the area and performing mop up operations, which is when they put out any remaining hot spots within the fire area,” Rubiaco said Nov. 10.
The fire, which began Nov. 4, is on a mix of public and private lands. There are no closures on the federal land portion of the fire at this time, Rubiaco added.
Burn Bans
The U.S. Drought Monitor released an updated drought map for North Carolina Nov. 9 that shows severe drought conditions have spread to the majority of WNC, influencing the risk of fires throughout the region.
Parts of 36 counties in North Carolina, mainly those in WNC, are under severe drought conditions, making wildfires difficult to extinguish, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Buncombe County is mostly under a moderate drought, with a small southern portion of the county in severe drought.
The region is well below normal amount of rainfall for the year, even with the rainfall over the past two days.
"The departure from normal, not including Nov. 11, is 11.79 inches below normal value for year to date rainfall, said Taylor, with the National Weather Service.
The U.S. Forest Service has implemented fire restrictions across the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests. To view the closure order visit www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nfsnc/alerts-notices. The Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park have backcountry campfire bans in place.
N.C. State Parks has closed all campsites in nine western state parks due to the increased fire risk. The closures are expected to last through Dec. 1.
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This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Western North Carolina wildfires still burning after rainfall
