“Out of control” wildfire erupts in North Carolina town still recovering from Hurricane Helene

An “out of control” wildfire erupted in the western North Carolina town of Old Fort on Wednesday, just four months after the area was ravaged by Hurricane Helene. As of 4:30 p.m., the blaze, dubbed the Crooked Creek Fire, has so far burned 150 acres, emergency officials said, and remains 0% contained. 

Evacuations are now underway in some areas in Old Fort, which was among the hardest-hit towns by Helene when it made landfall at the end of September. Local evacuation orders for residents can be found here. An emergency shelter has been opened at 203 East Main Street and residents in impacted areas have been urged to evacuate to ensure their safety, officials said. 

“High winds continue to create dangerous fire conditions,” the McDowell County Emergency Management said in its latest update. “Firefighters continue to focus on structure protection for multiple homes in the area and continue work on establishing fire containment lines.” 

The fire comes after emergency management officials issued a wind advisory that started at midnight on Wednesday. Officials had warned of 15 to 25 mph winds with gusts of up to 50 mph that were expected to last until 6 p.m. today. 

According to CBS affiliate WNCN, initial reports indicate the fire was started by a tree falling onto a power line.