Mandatory evacuation orders and a statewide burn ban remain in place as crews in Polk County continue to battle a series of wildfires. The fires have spread into Henderson County, where a state of emergency is in effect.
Three fires in the counties south of Asheville have already burned through more than 6,100 acres and left one firefighter hurt.
Polk County Emergency Management issued an wildfire warning for an immediate evacuation early Wednesday afternoon. The order was issued for anyone on 3155-6159 Holbert Cove Rd., Coyote Ridge and Sam's Gap Lane.
Officials said visibility in the area will be reduced and roads and evacuation routes could become blocked. "If you do not leave now, you could be trapped or injured. If you are unable to evacuate, call 9-1-1," officials said in a release.
Henderson County is under a state of emergency until further notice. "This state of emergency ensures that Henderson County has the necessary resources in place to respond to the potential impacts from the wildfires that originated from Polk County," officials said.
In its most recent update posted Wednesday, the N.C. Forest Service said 303 personnel from across North Carolina and other states have responded to the fires.
The N.C. Emergency Management division is also assisting in Polk County with communications, personnel and the N.C. Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team, which includes a Black Hawk helicopter that can perform rescues if firefighters need to be evacuated.
During a meeting Tuesday evening, that team was deployed, according to a post on X by Emergency Management, to rescue a firefighter that was trapped under a fallen tree. The N.C. Forest Service said Wednesday the firefighter was airlifted to a hospital in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and is in stable condition.
Emergency officials have expanded mandatory evacuation zones around the fires and have warned other residents in the area to be ready to evacuate. People near the fires can check a new interactive map, also found below, to see what zone they are in.
Polk County officials said late Saturday that residents of the Lake Adger subdivision could return after an evacuation order was lifted but added that other such orders remained in effect.
Residents along Lady Slipper Trail, Green River Cove Road, Big Hungry Road, Spurgeon Cove Lane, English Heifer Cove Road, Deer Trail and Scarlets Mountain Road are under mandatory evacuation, according to officials with N.C. Forest Service.
A shelter is open for impacted residents at 75 Carmel Lane in Columbus.
Monday's rain gave little help to the firefighting efforts as gusty winds and low relative humidity caused the moisture to evaporate quickly.
The Forest Service said Wednesday that a Red Flag Warning has been issued for the mountains of Polk and Henderson counties. This means "the potential for severe fire behavior and the possibility of rapid fire spread," its website stated.
Smoke also continues to be an issue for Polk and neighboring counties. As a result, a Code Red Air Quality Alert is in place for Polk, Henderson and Transylvania counties, and a Code Orange Alert continues in neighboring Rutherford County, state environmental officials said.
The Fish Hook Fire, near Lake Adger, on Green River Cove Road started due to a downed power line and had burned more than 199 acres as of Tuesday morning, according to the N.C. Forest Service. The fire was 72% contained as of Tuesday afternoon.
It has claimed three homes and one outbuilding so far, officials saids.
The Deep Woods Fire on Piney Mountain Road had burned more than 2,923 acres as of Tuesday afternoon, with 0% containment, according to the Forest Service. This fire has claimed one building, with another damaged, and destroyed three outbuildings, Polk County officials said.
The Black Cove Fire, which started off Green River Cove Road, was at more than 3,046 acres with 0% containment as of Tuesday evening, according to the Forest Service.
According to officials, seven homes and seven outbuildings have been destroyed by the fire. One home has suffered significant damage.
"You should take your family, pets and necessary items, including medications and important papers and evacuate now if you are in a Level III area," emergency management officials said as they warned of evacuations on social media.
Officials said so far, roughly 165 homes have been evacuated in the areas of the Black Cove and Deep Woods fires.
"Check in with your local Red Cross shelter (even if you don’t intend to stay there). Check in with them and let them know where you will be in case your family is looking for you," officials said.
“To prevent the fire from spreading into neighborhoods and inhabited areas to the west of the fire, firefighting personnel are constructing control lines on both sides of the river,” N.C. Forest Service officials posted Sunday evening.
The Forest Service said a temporary flight restriction is also in place daily from the surface up to 5,500 feet until further notice to ensure firefighting aircraft can conduct operation without obstruction from drones and other low flying aircraft.
