Polk County officials are urging some residents who live near uncontrolled fires to “leave now” as two of the fires surge over 1,000 acres each, tripling in size over mere hours.
As of 5:30 p.m. on March 21, the Deep Woods Fire near Holbert Cove Road jumped to 1,102 acres with no containment, N.C. Forest Service spokesperson Jeremy Waldrop confirmed. This means the fire more than tripled in size over the course of eight hours, fueled by dropping relative humidity, according to the National Weather Service. Waldrop said the difficult terrain is also contributing to fire growth.
“That’s really causing a lot of these fires to get bigger because they’re having to put those dozer lines and hand lines down in safer places,” Waldrop said.
In the afternoon, Polk County officials upped the mandatory evacuation for the Deep Woods Fire to the whole Piney Gate area. Visibility in the area will be reduced, and roads or evacuation routes can become blocked.
“If you do not leave now, you could be trapped, injured or killed,” the county alerted locals. Areas to be evacuated include:
- Deep Woods Lane
- Wesley Lane
- Piney Overlook Lane
- Piney Gate Rd
- Gamelands Trail
- Oakview Lane
- Volley Way
- Charity Branch Drive
- Windsong Ln
- Moonshine Trace
The Black Cove Fire also nearly doubled in size with no containment, growing from 583 acres to 1,083 acres in the Mount Valley community, Waldrop told the Citizen Times around 6 p.m. March 21. The fire was sparked by a downed power line on Green River Cove Road around 2 p.m. on March 19, according to county spokesperson Kellie Cannon. No structures were lost as of Friday morning, but it is unclear if the added acreage brought the fire closer to residential areas.
Waldrop said the N.C. Forest Service had a couple helicopters dropping water on both fires March 21, as well as a spotter plane deployed overhead to help guide the firefighting.
Most recently, a wildfire erupted from a downed power line near Lake Adger, which officials are calling the Fish Hook fire. It appears the fire has decreased in size, dropping from 190 acres the morning of March 21 to 152 acres as of 5:15 p.m., according to Forest Service estimates.
Cannon said the fire destroyed three homes near the river, as well as a garage. Another structure has been damaged, she said. It’s not yet clear if additional structures are threatened by Friday evening.
The county’s Animal Services have resources available to help with the evacuation of pets or large animals. For those who need help loading, trailering, transporting or housing large animals or are evacuating and need a place for your pets, call Patti Lovelace at 828-817-7984.
Weather brings increased fire danger Saturday: NWS
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning, which indicates high fire danger for several counties across Western North Carolina, including Polk, Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania counties, and more. The warning will be in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 22.
NWS expects increased fire danger until 8 p.m. March 21 due to the relative humidity dropping down into the 10-20% range across the region, except higher elevations along the Tennessee border. Although winds will be much lighter than Thursday, March 20, the low relative humidity and dry fuels will cause increased fire danger.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in Raleigh also issued a Code Red Air Quality alert in Polk County, which is expected to worsen on Saturday, March 22. Major fires will continue to produce smoky conditions and degraded air quality near and downstream of the fires, NC DEQ said.
Code Red means prolonged exposure to the air may be unhealthy for anyone. All residents should consider limiting prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. Anyone sensitive to air pollution, including children, older adults and people with asthma, should avoid outdoor exertion.
Rutherford County is under a Code Orange air quality action day alert, which signifies air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Children, older adults and people with asthma should limit prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors during Code Orange conditions.
DEQ’s website has a list of resources for keeping safe around wildfire smoke.
How to help
The county is collecting donations for families who lost their homes and for the firefighters responding to the fire. Donations can be brought to the following locations: Foothills Community Church at 2720 Landrum Road in Columbus and Friendship Baptist Church at Friendship Church Road in Saluda. Officials ask that donations not be dropped off at local fire stations, as it distracts firefighters from their important tasks.
Bottled water, sports drinks, and powered drink mixes, along with snack items, are the biggest needs since they are quick and easy for fire fighters to consume while working, the county’s social media said.
Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober
