Residents are being told to evacuate as a wildfire spreads in McDowell County about 30 miles east of Asheville.
The fire started Wednesday morning when a tree fell on a power line, according to a news release from the county. High winds quickly spread the fire around the Crooked Creek community.
An emergency shelter has been set up at First Baptist Church in Old Fort. Several roads in the area have been closed. The North Carolina Forest Service said the fire has grown to about 50 acres.