AP: Officials in North Carolina declare state of emergency as wildfires burn hundreds of acres [View all]
Officials in North Carolina declare state of emergency as wildfires burn hundreds of acresUpdated 4:35 PM EST, November 6, 2023
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (AP) Officials have declared a state of emergency in a western North Carolina community where a wildfire has burned hundreds of acres, some structures and now is threatening dozens of homes.
Crews are fighting several separate blazes in forested areas of Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky as wide swaths of those states face
moderate to severe drought conditions and warmer than normal temperatures.
The 431-acre (174-hectare) fire in Henderson County, North Carolina, has destroyed two homes, a cabin and an outbuilding, county officials said in a social media post Sunday that declared a state of emergency. Officials have identified 75 other structures that are threatened and said fire departments are focusing on structure protection while North Carolina Forest Services is focusing on putting in fire lines.
Meanwhile, crews are fighting a blaze in Cherokee County that has grown to more than 2,100 acres (850 hectares), but is not threatening structures, the U.S. Forest Service said.