Officials in North Carolina issued a state of emergency Sunday as wildfires ripped through the western part of the state.
Fires are currently burning across Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, and are now threatening dozens of homes in North Carolina, according to the Associated Press (AP). In Henderson County, a 431-acre fire has already destroyed two homes and a series of other structures.
The North Carolina Forest Service are reportedly putting fire lines in place. Footage shared on Twitter shows helicopters and airplanes dropping fire retardant ahead of the smoke plume. Additional video taken just northeast of Hendersonville by extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer reveals significant plumes, fueled by drought conditions and dry fall foliage.
Healthy smoke plume with wildfire just northeast of Hendersonville, NC driven by strong northerly surface winds, very low RH values, and abundant fuel for burning with drought conditions and dry leaves on the trees. @accuweather pic.twitter.com/7YEU8XD3zZ
— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerAccu) November 4, 2023
“Several counties in Western North Carolina are currently in a severe drought, and we are seeing wildfire activity increase due to dry conditions. Because dry conditions are expected to continue this burn ban is necessary to reduce the risk of fires starting and spreading quickly,” the state’s Forest Service said in a statement shared by AP. (RELATED: News Censorship On Facebook Is Endangering Wildfire Evacuees In Canada, Residents Say)
In Cherokee County, North Carolina, another blaze has grown to more than 2,100 acres but is not an immediate threat to life or human activity at the time of writing, AP reported, citing the U.S. Forest Service. Several other smaller fires were apparent Monday evening, and burn bans are in place in all areas experiencing drought, according to local outlet WBTV.