North Carolina
North Carolina wildfires scorch 6,000 acres as lingering Helene damage hampers firefight: 'Absolute travesty'
Wildfires are raging through several North Carolina communities already struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
POLK COUNTY, N.C. – The fight against destructive wildfires tearing through North Carolina is being significantly hampered by Hurricane Helene’s lingering devastation, officials revealed, calling the situation “an absolute travesty.”
EVACUATIONS EXPAND IN CAROLINAS AS WILDFIRES RAGE IN HURRICANE HELENE-RAVAGED AREAS
Footage posted by Greenville Water shows the scene at Table Rock Reservoir in South Carolina.
(Greenville Water)
The powerful storm, which swept through the region in late September, left behind a trail of destruction that is now proving to be a major obstacle in containing the blazes that have consumed over 6,000 acres in the state.
As evacuation orders remain in place for several neighborhoods, the stark reality of the intertwined disasters is becoming increasingly clear, North Carolina Forest Service Supervisor Nicholas Hoffmann said.
A “Home Sweet Home” sign is seen outside a home that was destroyed by a fire on March 23, 2025, in Columbus, North Carolina.
(Allison Joyce/Getty Images)
“It is an absolute travesty that it’s happened,” he emphasized. “And the Helene damage is actually one of the biggest contributing factors to the difficulty in fighting this fire because of all the damage, the landslides, the lack of access that it has created … in addition to the steep, steep terrain and the high winds we’re having right now.”
Fire officials are now grappling with a two-layered crisis.
FOX Weather meteorologists spent weeks on the ground in North Carolina following Helene, and their reports painted a stark picture of the sheer volume of fallen trees and debris that would dry out and become potent fuel, increasing the fire risk.
FOX Weather’s Robert Ray traveled to North Carolina where residents have described apocalyptic scenes of destruction.
“You have thousands of trees that are just lying in the forest that have been drying up over the last couple of months, and it’s a tinderbox,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “These are hard areas to access. That’s what made it so challenging with Helene and the response efforts, and they’re still trying to rebuild. Now, they have a second natural disaster pretty much on their hands.”
The destructive power of wildfires in Polk County has become evident after 11 homes were destroyed on Tuesday.
Officials report that the Black Cove Fire, which was started by a downed power line, has burned over 3,000 acres and remains uncontained. The nearby Deep Woods Fire has also consumed nearly 3,000 acres with no containment. The smaller Fish Hook Fire is partially contained, but the situation led to the evacuation of 165 homes by Tuesday evening.
The Deep Woods Fire is seen on March 23, 2025, in Columbus, North Carolina.
(Allison Joyce/Getty Images)
By Tuesday evening, emergency management officials in Henderson County had mandated evacuations for the Summer Haven community and four other neighborhoods. An additional dozen nearby communities were also under pre-evacuation advisories.
NEW WILDFIRE NEARLY TRAPS DEPUTIES SEARCHING FOR HIKER MISSING WEEKS IN SOUTH CAROLINA WILDERNESS
Smoke from the Black Cove Fire in Polk County, North Carolina, was seen wafting skyward on Sunday. This video, shared to X by Grant Finch, captures the massive smoke cloud as seen from Peter Guice Bridge.
Simultaneously, South Carolina also issued evacuation orders Tuesday evening in Greenville and Pickens counties due to the Persimmon Ridge Fire, which is part of the larger Table Rock Fire Complex.
The South Carolina Forestry Commission said that good progress was made in battling the blaze on Tuesday, but later, “wind gusts dramatically increased fire activity.”
The Table Rock Fire has burned over 2,200 acres, and the Persimmon Ridge Fire has charred about 1,000 acres. Both are at 0% containment.
Less than two weeks after losing its head coach to Duke University, a North Carolina high school football program has been promoted from within.
Kevin Reddick will become the new head coach at Rolesville High School, replacing Ranier Rackley, who became the Director of Player Development at Duke University.
News of the decision was first reported by High School OT.
Reddick was the defensive coordinator for the Rams for the past three seasons, helping the team win 25 games during that run. Last year, Rolesville allowed just under 15 points per game with Reddick in charge of the defense.
North Carolina High School Promotes Defensive Coordinator To Head Coach
Rolesville finished 9-4 last season under Rackley and Reddick.
Reddick is a graduate of New Bern High School, helping the Bears capture the 2007 Class 4AA North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Football championship. He was tabbed the most valuable player of that title game as a sophomore fullback after scoring two touchdowns in a 28-17 victory over Independence.
At New Bern, Reddick earned conference defensive player of the year honors and was all-state at lineback as a senior after recording 189 tackles, eight quarterback sacks, six forced fumbles and four blocked punts. He also ran for over 160 yards and scored six touchdowns.
Kevin Reddick Was College Standout, Had NFL Career Before Becoming Coach
Following his high school career, Reddick signed with North Carolina as a four-star prospect, earning first team all-ACC honors as a senior. He also had offers from North Carolina State, Virginia and Clemson.
With the Tar Heels, Reddick played in 50 games, recording 275 tackles, including 36 for loss, with 8.5 quarterback sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Reddick signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted rookie free agent, and also had stints with the San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills.
Rolesville reached the North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Football championship game with Reddick on the coaching staff and the third round this past season.
Rolesville Returns Top Rusher, Several Other Key Players
The Rams will be replacing starting quarterback Kaleb Williams, who had almost 2,500 yards passing and 22 touchdowns, as freshman Chase Williams was 8-for-8 for 98 yards with a touchdown in three games.
They will have top running back Amir Brown back, as he ran for 1,374 yards with 22 touchdowns and six games of 100 yards rushing as a junior. He also had 13 receptions for 106 yards and another TD.
Anthony Roberts is another key player back, as he caught 35 passes for 656 yards and nine TDs. Top tacklers Jayden Broadie, Javon Campbell, Genesis Allen and Keonte Sutton are all set to return, as well.
Follow
At least two people are dead and “several” others are injured after a “planned fight” at a North Carolina park escalated into a mass shooting, authorities said.
Police have identified several victims and suspects after Monday’s shooting at Leinbach Park near Jefferson Middle School, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department.
Authorities confirmed there were multiple victims in the shooting, but did not provide an exact number. The suspects were still at large over two hours later.
Officers were called to the park just before 10 a.m. after reports of a fight, which then escalated into multiple people shooting each other.
Area schools are not in lockdown, and classes are operating as normal, police said.
“Due to the number of people involved, efforts are ongoing to account for everyone. At this time, some of those involved in the incident are juveniles,” police said.
According to local news station WFMY, at least three people were taken to the hospital. Officials have not shared their conditions.
Police said the shooting was an isolated incident and remains under investigation.
This is a developing story
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, April 19, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 6-2-0, Fireball: 6
Evening: 4-1-7, Fireball: 5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 7-6-9-4, Fireball: 4
Evening: 8-1-5-6, Fireball: 6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
02-21-32-35-37
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from April 19 drawing
18-26-27-31-42
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:
- Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
- Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.
When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.
-
South Dakota3 minutes ago
SD Lottery Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for April 21, 2026
-
Tennessee9 minutes agoTennessee Senate passes bill that would reshape large power boards
-
Texas15 minutes agoTexas can require public schools to display Ten Commandments in classrooms, court rules
-
Utah21 minutes agoCalifornia man in Utah for National Guard duties accused of soliciting ‘teen girl’
-
Vermont27 minutes ago
VT Lottery Mega Millions, Gimme 5 results for April 21, 2026
-
Virginia33 minutes agoVirginia voters just handed Democrats another win in the Great Redistricting Wars
-
Washington39 minutes ago‘Not just workers’: Calls for safer roads during National Work Zone Awareness Week
-
Wisconsin45 minutes agoWisconsin loses millions in marijuana tax revenue to border states