Three wildfires in Polk County that started last week burned through the weekend, and fire crews had only partially contained one as of Monday morning.
The Black Cove and Fish Hook fires started last Thursday due to downed power lines.
On Friday afternoon, the Deep Woods Fire had burned less than 500 acres. As of Monday morning, it had claimed over 2,500 acres. The county evacuated 165 homes the Black Cove and Deep Woods fires.
High winds and drought conditions have helped the fires spread over 4,000 acres of rugged wilderness.
“We have to be very careful because of the low visibility issues and the cliffs and things like that,” said E.J. Dwigans, a public information officer for the North Carolina Forest Service. “It’s just about the most rugged terrain you could find in western North Carolina.”
He said weather conditions and tough terrain aren’t the only challenges firefighters are facing in Polk County.
“The main impact that we’re seeing from Helene debris is access issues," Dwigans said. "So our crews are spending significant amounts of time using chainsaws to cut through Helene debris just to get to where these fires are and begin establishing lines.”
North Carolina Forest Service’s Jeremy Waldrop said debris from Helene has slowed the response — and made it more expensive. The floods washed away roads and bridges that the Forest Service depended on to reach these wilderness areas, meaning their old maps are no longer reliable.
The Black Cove Fire in the Green River Game Land has burned over 2,000 acres. Firefighters from across state lines have responded, some drawing water from the Green River to spray along the fire lines.
A statewide burn ban remains in place despite showers Monday in parts of the state.
