Evacuations Are Ordered as Wildfire Breaks Out in Western North Carolina

Officials ordered evacuations as a major brush fire broke out on Wednesday in a rural area in McDowell County, N.C., that has now burned about 250 acres.

The Crooked Creek fire is threatening the nearby town of Old Fort, N.C., a small Western North Carolina community about 25 miles from Asheville. High winds and dry conditions are pushing the fire farther. As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire was 15 percent contained, according to McDowell County’s emergency services on Wednesday evening.

The wildfire strikes an inland region of North Carolina that is still recovering from the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene in September. Huge plumes of smoke are visible as they rise from Crooked Creek between the hills. WFMY News 2, a regional broadcaster, reported that the smoke had grown so large it was visible on radar.

“Firefighters continue to focus on structure protection for multiple homes in the area and continue work on establishing fire-containment lines,” the county said in an emergency alert. “Emergency services are urging residents in the affected areas to adhere to evacuation orders to ensure their safety.”

The county said that the fire was caused by a tree falling onto a power line. Some Old Fort residents have reported power outages and limited cell service. Several outbuildings have been destroyed by the flames, but no injuries have been reported. First Baptist Church in Old Fort is serving as a shelter for displaced residents.

Deborah Jarrell, a 67-year-old who runs a campground in Old Fort, said that her house is near the evacuation zone. In 1986, her house in the area was razed by a wildfire.

“I’m in a log home, I’m on top of a mountain, and I don’t have any water,” Ms. Jarrell said. “I’ve unloaded my safe, my guns, my equipment. I don’t know what else I can do but pray.”

Her daughter Loraine Jarrell, 39, rushed to check on her sister who lives on a different mountain when she heard in the afternoon about a raging fire.

“Her whole yard is filled with smoke,” she said.

Before the fire broke out, the North Carolina Forest Service said on social media that the risk of fire was high on Wednesday.

“With low relative humidity, wind gusts and dry fuels, fire danger is expected to be high across the Piedmont, Foothills and Mountains,” the agency said, adding that conditions are expected to improve in the evening.

High winds expanding the fire’s reach are expected to taper off tonight but there is potential for more gusts on Friday. The Forest Service recommended that residents refrain from outdoor burning, such as campfires and fires for cooking. The Appalachian area is host to several hiking trails.

Amy Davis, who helped lead Old Fort’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene, said the wildfire has complicated storm relief efforts.

“We’re still in the middle of many distribution projects,” Ms. Davis, a 49-year-old country store owner, said. “We kind of have been forgotten after Helene.”

Ms. Davis has fuel tanks on her farm endangered by the fire that she was distributing to residents in need after Helene. But, she said, she had to move them into town or the fire would have put them at risk.

Two more wildfires broke out in Marion, the county seat. There is no evacuation order for the city, but officials have instructed residents to stay away.