North Carolina wildfire containment: Fire risks aren't over yet, Forest Service says
Further updates on recent North Carolina wildfires from the U.S. Forest Service indicated progress in containment.
The news release, issued at around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5, explained that wet weather Western N.C. is aiding in the process of containing wildfires. However, the release warned that fire risks may rise again in coming days.
The fully contained Ramshorn Fire and partially contained Falls Dam Fire and Hicks Cemetery fires in N.C. national forests have covered about 809 acres in total. Here's what we know from the Forest Service's statements.
The recent news release from the U.S. Forest Service provided information on the effects of rainfall on the N.C. national forest wildfires. The Forest Service reported rainfall accumulation across the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests from 0.5-2 inches as of Wednesday evening, March 5.
The release warned, however, that despite the precipitation WNC is seeing, warm, dry conditions with relative humidity dropping to 20% are forecast to return, increasing fire risk into the weekend.
For wildfire updates, the release suggested following the National Forests in North Carolina on Facebook at facebook.com/nfsnc, and checking for updates on the Forest Service website at fs.usda.gov/alerts/nfsnc/alerts-notices.
More: Blood Worm Moon: What to know about March's total lunar eclipse, full moon
The Ramshorn Fire in the Croatan National Forest of Carteret County is fully contained. The fire covered about 110 acres.
The Hicks Cemetery Fire in the Pisgah National Forest of Haywood County is at about 50% containment. The fire has covered about 194 acres.
The recent news release stated that the the affected area experienced sustained winds exceeding 20 mph from the south-southeast overnight, potentially pushing embers beyond containment lines. The release added that crews will remain alert and adjust containment as needed to compensate for potential hotspots, despite receiving nearly an inch of rainfall and forecasts of 1-2 inches of snow.
The Falls Dam Fire in the Uwharrie National Forest of Montgomery County is about 85% contained. It was the largest of the three wildfires, covering about 505 acres.
Outside of National Forests, Polk County Emergency Management posted on its Facebook page at 11:50 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5 about conditions of the 3910 Fire in the county.
The post informed the public that the Polk County fire is now 91% contained, having burned 619 acres in total. As of 5 p.m. on March 4, operations have been handed over to the NCFS. The post thanked local fire departments, emergency personnel and the entire community for assistance in controlling the fire.
More: Beer honors: Western NC city, town, breweries voted among best in the US
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: North Carolina wildfires containment increases: U.S. Forest Service
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mudslide strands thousands on mountainous West Virginia highway for more than 8 hours
Thousands of motorists were stranded for more than eight hours along a section of rural interstate highway in southern West Virginia early Friday after a mudslide caused by heavy rains blocked a storm drain the previous night, flooding the northbound lanes. Traffic backed up for 12 miles along the West Virginia Turnpike about 20 miles south of Charleston, the state capital. Traffic was not rerouted, and many motorists along the mountainous route had no choice but to remain in their vehicles overnight. Motorists posted on social media that they had no information on why the standstill occurred, that they had nothing to drink in their vehicles or that their children needed to use the bathroom. Nicky Walters said in a telephone interview that she felt fortunate while she was stuck because she is healthy, did not not need medicine and had nobody she was responsible for caring for. 'But I felt desperate because I knew that other people needed help,' said Walters, who became stranded while returning to Charleston from a pro wrestling event in Mount Hope. 'People needed, at minimum, water bottles passed out and some snacks, much less information. They needed any lifeline to the outside world, and there was none.' Chuck Smith, executive director of the West Virginia Parkways Authority, said one lane reopened Friday morning but traffic remained at a standstill for hours. 'Traffic should have been detoured to allow drivers an alternate route around the mudslide,' Smith said in a statement. 'The Parkways Authority takes full responsibility for the failure to reroute traffic, and would like to assure the public that this will never happen again.' No injuries were reported. By the time Brittany Lemon and her family finally got home to Parkersburg, 24 hours had passed since they began returning from their vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In a video posted to Facebook, Lemon said she had no water and her children needed to use the bathroom. They were able to get an hour's sleep while stuck on the highway. 'Definitely next year when I go back, I'll be prepared for an emergency in the vehicle,' she said. Mitch Carmichael, a former cabinet secretary of the Department of Economic Development, said on Facebook that he was on the turnpike 'for hours with no relevant or timely info as to when issue will be cleared.' He called it 'incredibly unprofessional' for the public to be left in the dark and said it gives West Virginia 'a terrible image.' Gov. Patrick Morrisey said in a statement that the shutdown 'was completely unacceptable. I have directed the Parkways Authority to immediately conduct an investigation and revise its procedures as necessary as a result of this incident.' Shutdowns of the turnpike have happened before. In 2022 a tractor trailer crashed and spilled a chemical along the turnpike, closing all lanes for most of the day.
17 hours ago
Mudslide along West Virginia highway strands thousands for more than 8 hours
Thousands of motorists were stranded for more than eight hours along a section of rural interstate highway in southern West Virginia early Friday after a mudslide caused by heavy rains blocked a storm drain the previous night, flooding the northbound lanes. Traffic backed up for 12 miles (about 19 kilometers) along the West Virginia Turnpike about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Charleston, the state capital. Traffic was not rerouted, and many motorists along the mountainous route had no choice but to remain in their vehicles overnight. Motorists posted on social media that they had no information on why the standstill occurred, that they had nothing to drink in their vehicles or that their children needed to use the bathroom. Nicky Walters said in a telephone interview that she felt fortunate while she was stuck because she is healthy, did not not need medicine and had nobody she was responsible for caring for. 'But I felt desperate because I knew that other people needed help,' said Walters, who became stranded while returning to Charleston from a pro wrestling event in Mount Hope. 'People needed, at minimum, water bottles passed out and some snacks, much less information. They needed any lifeline to the outside world, and there was none.' Chuck Smith, executive director of the West Virginia Parkways Authority, said one lane reopened Friday morning but traffic remained at a standstill for hours. 'Traffic should have been detoured to allow drivers an alternate route around the mudslide,' Smith said in a statement. 'The Parkways Authority takes full responsibility for the failure to reroute traffic, and would like to assure the public that this will never happen again.' No injuries were reported. By the time Brittany Lemon and her family finally got home to Parkersburg, 24 hours had passed since they began returning from their vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In a video posted to Facebook, Lemon said she had no water and her children needed to use the bathroom. They were able to get an hour's sleep while stuck on the highway. 'Definitely next year when I go back, I'll be prepared for an emergency in the vehicle," she said. Mitch Carmichael, a former cabinet secretary of the Department of Economic Development, said on Facebook that he was on the turnpike 'for hours with no relevant or timely info as to when issue will be cleared.' He called it 'incredibly unprofessional' for the public to be left in the dark and said it gives West Virginia 'a terrible image.' Gov. Patrick Morrisey said in a statement that the shutdown "was completely unacceptable. I have directed the Parkways Authority to immediately conduct an investigation and revise its procedures as necessary as a result of this incident." Shutdowns of the turnpike have happened before. In 2022 a tractor trailer crashed and spilled a chemical along the turnpike, closing all lanes for most of the day.
San Francisco Chronicle
20 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Mudslide along West Virginia highway strands thousands for more than 8 hours
Thousands of motorists were stranded for more than eight hours along a section of rural interstate highway in southern West Virginia early Friday after a mudslide caused by heavy rains blocked a storm drain the previous night, flooding the northbound lanes. Traffic backed up for 12 miles (about 19 kilometers) along the West Virginia Turnpike about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Charleston, the state capital. Traffic was not rerouted, and many motorists along the mountainous route had no choice but to remain in their vehicles overnight. Motorists posted on social media that they had no information on why the standstill occurred, that they had nothing to drink in their vehicles or that their children needed to use the bathroom. Nicky Walters said in a telephone interview that she felt fortunate while she was stuck because she is healthy, did not not need medicine and had nobody she was responsible for caring for. 'But I felt desperate because I knew that other people needed help,' said Walters, who became stranded while returning to Charleston from a pro wrestling event in Mount Hope. 'People needed, at minimum, water bottles passed out and some snacks, much less information. They needed any lifeline to the outside world, and there was none.' Chuck Smith, executive director of the West Virginia Parkways Authority, said one lane reopened Friday morning but traffic remained at a standstill for hours. 'Traffic should have been detoured to allow drivers an alternate route around the mudslide,' Smith said in a statement. 'The Parkways Authority takes full responsibility for the failure to reroute traffic, and would like to assure the public that this will never happen again.' By the time Brittany Lemon and her family finally got home to Parkersburg, 24 hours had passed since they began returning from their vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In a video posted to Facebook, Lemon said she had no water and her children needed to use the bathroom. They were able to get an hour's sleep while stuck on the highway. 'Definitely next year when I go back, I'll be prepared for an emergency in the vehicle," she said. Mitch Carmichael, a former cabinet secretary of the Department of Economic Development, said on Facebook that he was on the turnpike 'for hours with no relevant or timely info as to when issue will be cleared.' He called it 'incredibly unprofessional' for the public to be left in the dark and said it gives West Virginia 'a terrible image.' Gov. Patrick Morrisey said in a statement that the shutdown "was completely unacceptable. I have directed the Parkways Authority to immediately conduct an investigation and revise its procedures as necessary as a result of this incident." Shutdowns of the turnpike have happened before. In 2022 a tractor trailer crashed and spilled a chemical along the turnpike, closing all lanes for most of the day.
