In McDowell County, North Carolina, a wildfire ignited by a downed power line during high winds on Wednesday burned through 220 acres, damaging one home and destroying multiple outbuildings. As of noon Eastern Time on Thursday, the fire was 55% contained. Evacuation orders were lifted at 8 a.m. on Thursday, although emergency personnel remained on-site to monitor the situation and ensure further containment of the fire.
The wildfire added to the challenges faced by McDowell County, which was already contending with two other active wildfires on Wednesday: the Crooked Creek Fire in Old Fort and the North Fork Fire in Marion. The North Carolina Forest Service Wildfire Public Viewer highlighted the active wildfires in the area, underscoring the severity of the situation.
The impact of these wildfires is compounded by ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. At the beginning of the month, over 5,700 households in the region were residing in FEMA-funded hotels. Approximately 3,500 households were at risk of losing this temporary shelter by January 12, leaving many scrambling for housing alternatives. FEMA had managed to place 93 households in temporary housing units as of January 13.
The hurricane left approximately 12,000 residents displaced and caused damage to an estimated 121,000 to 132,000 homes across Western North Carolina (WNC). The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency has called for legislative support to provide $217 million in funds to complete reconstruction on more than 1,000 homes destroyed by Hurricanes Matthew and Florence in 2016 and 2018. The region experienced historic flooding during Hurricane Helene, resulting in roughly $60 billion in damages.
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