A wildfire near Marion, in McDowell County, an area hard hit by Tropical Storm Helene that downed trees and complicated firefighting operations, is now 100% contained as of Dec. 10, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire, which grew to 518 acres, mostly affected agency land in Pisgah National Forest.
The fire started Dec. 6 after high winds downed power lines sparking two wildfires in the county. A second fire near Old Fort is fully contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Located east of N.C. 80, near Lake Tahoma, the Buck Creek Fire threatened four homes in the area, Lisa Jennings, a USFS spokesperson, told the Citizen Times Dec. 9.
But much of the risk had been reduced, Jennings said, thanks to rain falling in the region and to burnout operations crews performed Dec. 7, which consumed all the leftover fuel within the fire lines.
Helene aftermath complicates firefighting
The area isn’t immune to wildfires. In 2017, nearly 600 acres burned in the Sugar Cove Fire, the Citizen Times previously reported. And while crews are familiar with the area, Helene has altered the already rugged terrain, further complicating firefighting efforts.
When Helene swept through Western North Carolina Sept. 27, torrential rains spurred floods and landslides that destroyed homes and killed at least one person in McDowell County, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
As of Dec. 4, 103 deaths had been reported in North Carolina from the storm. High winds also toppled trees within the fire’s perimeter, which Jennings said made installing fire lines more challenging. Dead trees hanging over those lines posed an additional threat to crews, she added.
And now, as those Helene-toppled trees dry out, the area could see continued wildfire risk, as could other portions of Western North Carolina devastated by Helene.
“Our communities that are really hard hit by these storms are seeming to also be the most vulnerable to wildfire just because of damage, not only to the forest, but to the infrastructure around it,” Jennings said.
Joseph Roise, a professor of forestry and operation research at North Carolina State University, told the Citizen Times Dec. 9, damage to area roadways, which could hinder response by fire crews, paired with storm debris and dry conditions, greatly increases wildfire risk during the fall wildfire season.
Even before the fire, N.C. 80 was still closed to most traffic, as portions of the steep, windy road were washed out or heavily damaged by floods and landslides. And dry conditions that persisted after Helene lowered the fuel moisture content of the debris, like trees, leaves and other plants, on the ground, Roise said.
“You have all these downed trees and remnants of houses,” he said. “All that fuel is just waiting there.”
While prescribed burns, mulching and debris piling and removal are ways to reduce the risk, rain is the most effective way to mitigate the threat of future wildfires.
“But it’s only temporary,” Roise said. “Because if it stops raining, it’ll just dry out again.”
More:A ‘wall of water’ tore a couple apart. Their friend is aiding in the search.
More:Thousands of private bridges were damaged during Helene. Nonprofits are helping rebuild.
Jacob Biba is the county watchdog reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times. Reach him at jbiba@citizentimes.com.
