Multiple Wildfires Devastate Hurricane-Ravaged Polk County
Polk County's wildfire response has been severely complicated by Hurricane Helene's aftermath, with emergency officials battling three fires across difficult terrain made nearly inaccessible.
POLK COUNTY, North Carolina—The trio of wildfires that have erupted in Polk County are testing the limits of emergency responders already stretched thin by Hurricane Helene's aftermath; this also comes on the heels of disruptive, mass firings of thousands of federal employees by the Trump Regime, including many in the Forest Service.
Officials are describing it as a "nightmare" scenario of challenging terrain, makeshift infrastructure, and thousands of downed trees creating unprecedented complications, as reported by Gerard Albert III at BPR News.
Two of the fires—Black Cove and Fish Hook—were ignited by downed power lines following last week's strong winds, while the cause of the Deep Woods fire remains under investigation, according to the North Carolina Forest Service.
As of Monday morning, the Black Cove Fire has consumed 2,076 acres with 0% containment, while the Deep Woods fire has burned 2,545 acres and also remains at 0% containment. The Fish Hook fire has affected 199 acres and stands at 50% containment.
At least four homes have been destroyed by these blazes.
"These conditions that we're facing right now is not like we've seen in the past," said Bobby Arledge, Polk County Fire Marshal and Emergency Manager, during a Sunday information session that drew approximately 200 concerned residents to the county commission chambers in Columbus. "All the trees and everything that we've had down from Helene has been a nightmare. What you can normally get in and stop pretty quickly has now become impossible, just because of the large trees and everything that fell during Helene."
Multiple Challenges Hamper Firefighting Efforts
The most significant fires—Deep Woods and Black Cove—are burning in sparsely populated areas on opposite sides of the Green River. Firefighters hope the river itself and Green River Cove Road will serve as natural fire breaks between the two blazes.
"A road or natural break like that is going to help us," explained E.J. Dwigans, North Carolina Forest Service Public Information Officer. "The two fires are growing closer together, and so they may converge this week, but that's yet to be determined."
The remote nature of these fires presents formidable access challenges, with steep terrain and compromised infrastructure further complicating response efforts.
"These fires are in very remote areas, with rugged terrain," Dwigans noted. "Access has been an issue with small gravel roads—usually one way in, one way out—so it's really hard to get resources into where these fires are."
Sunday's limited rainfall, rather than providing relief, created additional obstacles for crews working around the clock to contain the blazes.
"The limited amount of precipitation that we've received has now made some of these roads slippery and wet," Dwigans explained Monday morning. "Some of our fire lines have become kind of muddy and slick."
‘People are already struggling…’
Several evacuation orders remain in place for residents in threatened areas, including:
Green River Cove Road addresses from 1091 to 1528
Lady Slipper Trail
Big Hungry Road
Spurgeon Cove Lane
English Heifer Cove Road
Deer Trail
Scarlets Mountain Road
5079-7265 Holbert Cove Road
Fox Paw Lane
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved North Carolina for a Fire Management Assistance Grant, according to Governor Josh Stein, who expressed concern for communities already reeling from Helene's destruction.
"I'm concerned about the wildfires in Polk County, where people are already struggling due to Mother Nature," Stein stated. "I thank FEMA for approving North Carolina's Fire Management Assistance Grant. Stay safe and please continue to listen to emergency guidance around evacuation orders."
The Resilience of Southern Appalachia Strengthened by Broader Regional Support
According to Dwigans, crews from states throughout the South and as far west as Oregon have sent personnel and resources to assist with firefighting efforts. The U.S. Parks Department has deployed Chinook helicopters to dump thousands of gallons of water on the fires.
The North Carolina Emergency Management has activated the North Carolina Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team (NCHART), which includes aviation assets from the NC National Guard and NC State Highway Patrol, to rapidly extract any firefighters who become trapped or injured.
Meanwhile, fire crews are also monitoring two fires near the state line in Pickens, South Carolina. The Table Rock fire has burned over 1,000 acres, according to Pickens County officials. Connestee Fire Chief Matthew C. Owen provided a cautiously optimistic update on Monday, noting: "Last night we were able to confirm that the Table Rock Fire is not progressing in a manner that causes us a great deal of concern at this time."
As a precautionary measure, the North Carolina Forest Service has sent crews to Headwaters State Forest in Transylvania County to dig fire break lines in case the fires cross state lines.
"The North Carolina Forest Service will be responsible for managing the fire and it'll probably be a joint command situation," Dwigans said of that potential scenario.
For a region still recovering from Hurricane Helene's unprecedented destruction, these wildfires represent yet another environmental challenge—which is likely to only become more frequent as climate change worsens—testing the resilience and adaptive capacity of Appalachian communities.
Stay updated on the latest evacuation orders and emergency information at readync.gov.
This article is based on reporting by Gerard Albert III for BPR News. Common Appalachian has reformatted and contextualized the information with additional regional analysis.
Great reporting here, Jeffrey! And we stand in solidarity with you all, across state lines, from South Carolina. One slight correction: The Connestee fire chief, in referring to the Table Rock fire, was saying that it's not of great concern to that area. It's still of GREAT concern down here in South Carolina. I live 9 miles from the Table Rock fire, which is still growing (approaching 1500 acres now) and still uncontained, and I'm one of the hundreds of homes under a "cautious watch" as to evacuations. So it's a very big deal down here. Along with the Persimmon Ridge Fire near Jones Gap in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, along 276. Bottom line: We've got greatly concerning fires on both sides of the border.
Heartbreaking for a community who has already felt so much heartbreak.