2nd wildfire breaks out in Helene-ravaged North Carolina county as “significant progress” made in Crooked Creek Fire, officials say

Firefighters monitor the North Fork Fire through the night. / Lisa Jennings, Public Information Officer, U.S. Forest Service

A second wildfire has erupted in western North Carolina’s McDowell County, an area that was ravaged by Hurricane Helene just four months ago, nearly to the day, officials said. The fire, dubbed the North Fork Fire, comes a day after the Crooked Creek Fire suddenly arose in the county’s town of Old Fort, a town of just 800 people.

McDowell County Emergency Services said Thursday morning that they are actively monitoring the North Fork Fire, which has so far grown to 60 acres and is 0% contained. At this time, the department said, “there is no imminent threat to structures.”

“Local fire departments are on scene and working in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service to provide structure protection and monitor fire behavior,” the department said. “Crews will continue containment efforts throughout the day.”

The North Fork Fire, which is in the town of Marion, arose just hours after the Crooked Creek Fire developed in Old Fort. Originally, McDowell emergency officials described Crooked Creek as “out of control.” In their latest update just before 7 a.m. local time on Thursday, they said that the fire had grown to an estimated 250 acres and was 55% contained and that “significant progress” had been made overnight.

“Winds diminished and relative humidity increased leading to lower fire activity,” officials said, adding that the progress meant that evacuation orders for affected areas would be lifted at 8 a.m. local time. “Emergency personnel will continue to remain on-site throughout the day to monitor the situation and ensure further containment of the fire.”

No injuries or fatalities have been reported. One home was damaged, however, and multiple outbuildings, referring to sheds, garages and buildings of the like, have been destroyed.

The fires erupted amid high winds that created “dangerous fire conditions,” emergency officials previously said. A wind advisory had been issued starting at midnight on Wednesday, with warnings of 15 to 25 mph winds and gusts of up to 50 mph that were expected to last until 6 p.m. local time.

The winds only added to the dry conditions being felt in the area. CBS News and Stations meteorologist Nikki Nolan said that Old Fort, which normally receives on average just under 4 inches of rain in January, has so far only received 0.58 inches. Dry conditions are known fuels for fires because of the dry vegetation, and high winds help fires spread more quickly.

According to CBS affiliate WNCN, initial reports indicate the fire was started by a tree falling onto a power line.

Tens of thousands of homes were believed to be damaged across western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene in September. In Old Fort, at least 47 homes and buildings were destroyed in the town of just over 800 people, and 36 other homes were damaged, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Thousands of people remain displaced, according to the Citizen-Times.