Morning Update on the Black Cove Complex fires in Polk and Henderson counties

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the Black Cove Complex is the highest priority fire in the Southern U.S. Currently, there are 303 personnel from North Carolina and other states across the nation supporting this incident.

Today, the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for the mountains of Polk and Henderson counties, indicating the potential for severe fire behavior and the possibility of rapid fire spread. Firefighters continue preparing firebreaks and protecting structures in anticipation of elevated temperatures, high winds and low humidity this afternoon.

Fire managers and emergency officials held a community meeting for Henderson County residents Tuesday, March 25 to provide information and updates on the Black Cove, Deep Woods and Fish Hook fires. Officials discussed the current state of the fires, management strategies and containment. Local residents were able to bring questions and concerns to management team members. More than 400 people attended the meeting. For those who were unable to attend, a recording of the meeting is available at https://vimeo.com/event/4347848.

• Black Cove Fire: (35° 17′ 7.53″ N , 82° 17′ 49.96″ W) Currently, the Black Cove Fire is 3,046 acres in size and 0% contained. The fire is burning in timber on state-owned and private land, approximately 2 miles northeast of Saluda, in the Green River Gorge.

  Yesterday, fire behavior was intense, with rapid fire spread and extreme burning conditions as high winds and dry weather returned to Western North Carolina. The Black Cove Fire continued to burn to the west, on both sides of the Green River, as firefighters continued protecting structures and attempted to prevent it from spreading toward homes off Summerhaven and Macedonia roads.

  Yesterday, a firefighter was injured on the Black Cove Fire. The individual was airlifted to Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he received medical attention and is currently in stable condition.

  The Black Cove Fire was first reported Wednesday, March 19. The cause of this fire was determined to be a downed powerline.

• Deep Woods Fire: (35° 17′ 34.77″ N , 82° 15′ 34.00″ W)
  Currently, the Deep Woods Fire is 2,923 acres in size and 0% contained. The fire is burning approximately 5 miles northwest of Columbus in timber on state-owned and private land in the Green River Gorge and in the neighboring Holbert Cove community.

  Firefighters continue protecting structures on the southern end of the fire and working to prevent the fire’s spread to the south of Holbert Cove Road. Yesterday, firefighters on the Deep Woods Fire detected a spot fire that had crossed over Cove Creek in the vicinity of Big Bradley Falls. Air support was used to drop water on the spot fire until nightfall. Firefighters are assessing the possibility of constructing containment lines along Cove Mountain and will work to keep the spot fire from moving further west.

  The Deep Woods Fire was first reported Wednesday, March 19. The cause of this fire remains under investigation.

• Fish Hook Fire: (35° 20′ 52.42″ N , 82° 14′ 5.01″ W)
  Currently, the Fish Hook Fire is 199 acres in size and 72% contained. The fire is burning approximately 5 miles northwest of Mill Spring on private land near Lake Adger.

  Firefighting personnel have stopped forward progress of the fire. Firefighters continue securing firebreaks along the fire’s edges and extinguishing smoldering fuels. Containment is expected to continue in the coming days, and firefighters will remain on scene until the fire no longer poses a threat.

  The Fish Hook fire was first reported Thursday, March 20. The cause of this fire was determined to be a downed powerline.

Evacuation levels are constantly being assessed based on fire activity. For updated or current evacuation notices for Polk County, please refer to Polk County’s website. For updated or current evacuation notices for Henderson County, please refer to Henderson County’s website.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place at an altitude from the surface up to and including 5,500 feet, daily (24 hours) until further notice. Firefighting aircraft that respond to wildfires fly low in support of ground personnel. Drones can pose a serious threat to pilot and public safety. A drone that disrupts air operations also puts firefighters, residents and property at risk of loss to wildfire.

Effective 8 a.m. Friday, March 21, a ban on all open burning was issued statewide. All burning permits are canceled. No new permits are being issued. The ban remains in effect until further notice. Read news release. 

To check wildfire activity across the state, use the North Carolina Wildfire Public Viewer at https://ncfspublic.firesponse.com/. 

Subscribe to receive updates from the N.C. Forest Service about wildfires, burn bans and other topics at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/NCFS/subscriber/new.

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