Smoke billows from Polk County wildfire as evacuations ordered
The massive smoke cloud from the Black Cove Fire in Polk County, North Carolina, was seen wafting skyward.
Hundreds of firefighters converged on a rural North Carolina county Monday to battle at least three blazes that have scorched almost 8 square miles, destroyed at least three homes and multiple other buildings and forced mandatory evacuations.
The fires come as much of western North Carolina remains in recovery mode from horrific flooding driven by Hurricane Helene six months ago.
Advertisement
The two largest fires had burned more than 7 square miles in Polk County and were 0% contained late Sunday, the state Forest Service said. Both have been burning since Wednesday.
In recent weeks, large sections of North Carolina and South Carolina have been designated an “elevated fire risk” by the National Weather Service because of high winds, low humidity and a dearth of rainfall.
“Many areas across the state have seen fires this weekend. A statewide burning ban (is) in place. Do not burn outdoors at all!” the state emergency management agency warned in a social media post. Earlier the agency had urged people to quickly leave evacuation zones, saying visibility in those areas could be reduced, evacuation blocked − and residents “trapped, injured, or killed.”
Damaging storms: System threatens multiple states devastated by killer tornadoes a week ago
Advertisement
In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency to ensure firefighters have the resources needed to combat the Table Rock Fire in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
“The statewide burning ban remains in effect as wildfire risks remain high across the state,” McMaster said in a statement. “Anyone who violates this ban can and will go to jail.”
By Sunday evening, the Table Rock Fire − which ignited Friday − grew to more than 1,300 acres with no containment.
The South Carolina Forestry Commission noted that the current estimate of acres burned includes “several hundred acres that were part of a burnout conducted by wildland firefighters to eliminate the fuels between evacuated residential areas and the many active wildfire fronts.”
Advertisement
“The burnout, which remains in progress, is being deemed successful in removing said fuels,” the South Carolina Forestry Commission said.
Read more news about our planet: Sign up for USA TODAY’s Climate Point newsletter.
Add one more name to the list of high school recruits scheduled to visit Clemson on Saturday.
2027 three-star EDGE Xavier Perkins (C.E. Jordan, Durham, NC) will be on hand for the Tigers’ junior day.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound recruit is fresh off a visit to Duke, with the Blue Devils already having offered. North Carolina, Ole Miss, Florida State and Virginia Tech have also offered. Clemson won’t start offering players in the 2027 class until the summer.
As a sophomore, Perkins was credited with 34 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six sacks and 21 quarterback hurries.
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)
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
A view of the Black Cove Fire burning in Polk County, North Carolina. (Polk County Local Government/Facebook)
Troutman Fire Department firefighter Sam Mills (left) and Deputy Chief of Troutman Fire Department Jimmy Kestler (right) work a backburn preventative fire to stop the spread of the Deepwoods Fire on March 23, 2025 in Columbus, North Carolina. (Allison Joyce)
Debris from Hurricane Helene litters the side of the road as smoke hangs in the air near the Black Cove wildfire on March 24, 2025 in Polk County near Saluda, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford)
Advertisement
Smoke rises from a mountain ridge near storm debris and heavy machinery at the Black Cove wildfire on March 24, 2025 in Polk County near Saluda, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
A motorist navigate a flood damaged road as smoke hangs in the air near the Black Cove wildfire on March 24, 2025 in Polk County near Saluda, North Carolina (Sean Rayford)
Advertisement
Debris from Hurricane Helene litters the side of the road as smoke hangs in the air near the Black Cove wildfire on March 24, 2025 in Polk County near Saluda, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford)
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton announced his resignation from the North Carolina Senate, effective Wednesday evening, creating a leadership vacancy as the Senate enters a busy legislative period
Newton, 64, is stepping down to pursue an opportunity outside of state government, according to a statement from Senate Republicans.
His specific plans have not been disclosed, according to the Associated Press.
“It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve the people of Cabarrus County for nearly a decade,” Newton said in his statement.
Advertisement
Senate leader Phil Berger praised Newton as a “valued voice and leader” who “provided a calm presence and wise counsel to many legislators during his time in Raleigh.”
ALSO READ: NC Senate passes bill requiring cellphone ban in schools
Newton’s departure means that Republicans in the 34th Senate District will select someone to fill his seat through the end of 2026. Additionally, Senate Republicans will need to convene to choose a new majority leader.
As majority leader, Newton played a significant role in enacting laws that extended conservative tax policies, removed the three-day grace period for mail-in absentee ballots, and set greenhouse gas reduction mandates on electric power plants operated by Duke Energy.
Newton, a former Duke Energy state president, joined the Senate in 2017 and was elected by his GOP colleagues to the majority leadership post after the 2022 elections.
Advertisement
The Senate’s bill-filing deadline was Tuesday, and the Senate aims to approve a two-year state government budget proposal next month.
Newton’s resignation marks a significant change in the North Carolina Senate’s leadership as the legislative body prepares for an intense work period.
The selection of his successor will be crucial in shaping the Senate’s future direction.
VIDEO: NC Senate passes bill requiring cellphone ban in schools
