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PJ Media
PJ Media
30 Jan 2025
Sarah Anderson


NextImg:Fires Break Out in Helene-Ravaged Western North Carolina

As of Wednesday evening, at least three fires have broken out in Western North Carolina in areas that were decimated by Hurricane Helene, according to Fox Weather. The fires are largely located in McDowell County, which is just northeast of Asheville.  

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So far, there have been no injuries, though numerous outbuildings have been destroyed. Many of the homes in the area were already destroyed in late September when Helene hit the region. Even so, evacuation orders were in place, and a shelter has been opened at a local Baptist church. 

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CBS reported that nearly 250 acres had burned as of Wednesday night in the town of Old Fort. Locals are calling it the "Crooked Creek Fire." It's by far the largest of the reported fires.  

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The McDowell County Office of Emergency Management said the Crooked Creek Fire was started by a downed power line, and a combination of wind and debris and dry brush from Helene were causing it to spread faster than firefighters could tackle it. Around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, it was only 15% contained. 

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It appears that the weather conditions were also favorable for wildfires. Earlier on Wednesday, the North Carolina Forest Service actually sent out a warning to residents. Several counties in North Carolina are in a moderate or severe drought. On top of that, Wednesday brought humidity as low as 20% and gusty winds to the area. Thankfully, the winds, which reached up to 25 mph with gusts of up to 50, were supposed to die down by the end of the day. 

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According to Fox Carolina, the other two fires were much smaller. The North Fork Fire was located in the Woodlawn Community in Marion, and the Watson Place Fire was located along US 221 North in Marion. As of Wednesday night, there is no word on how those fires started, their size, or whether or not they'd been contained.