A 730-acre wildfire, dubbed the "Coyote Fire," is now mostly contained at Crowders Mountain State Park, according to the North Carolina Forest Service’s website.
As of Monday afternoon, Gaston County officials said the fire was 95% contained. The N.C. Forest Service said they used a burnout operation to burn fuel in the firest and help contain the fire.
Rain Sunday night and Monday helped bring the Crowders Mountain fire and another fire in McDowell County under control.
Gaston County officials said the fire was first discovered by Crowders Mountain State Park officials around 7 a.m. At that point, about 70 acres were already gone.
No structures were impacted, as the fire was in a remote area, allowing for firefighters to slowly restrict the fire as time passed.
“Fire activity is picking up. In NC, there were 236 wildfires during October, 282 wildfires during November and so far in December, we’ve had about 194 wildfires already,” the North Carolina Forest Service said Monday.
The North Carolina Forest Service said it was investigating what sparked the Crowders Mountain fire at a state park in Gaston County, west of Charlotte.
In a since-deleted Facebook, Crowders Mountain Fire & Rescue said the fire was not started by a controlled burn.
Buck Creek Fire
Firefighters are battling the “Buck Creek Fire” near Lake Tahoma in Marion, N.C., spanning Mitchel and McDowell counties.
The U.S. Forest Service said of the 530 acres, approximately 75% was contained as of Monday afternoon. The recent rain had helped get the fire under control.
That fire, officials said, started from a downed power line. Saturday was spent protecting properties and creating firelines, officials said.
“This managed burning removes much of the remaining fuels within the firelines, such as leaf litter and downed branches,” the U.S. Forest Service said. “Without these fuels, fire spread is slowed and firelines become more effective for control.”
There are more than 90 firefighters working the wildfire Monday. There's more rain in the forecast, which is expected to help get the fire under control.
As they continue adding firelines, they’ve warned the public to expect smoke in the area.
The North Carolina Forest Service has again repeated its call for caution when burning and, when possible, to wait until residents get substantial rain to do so.