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Wildfire burning near Grandfather Mountain
Photos show smoke rising from Pisgah National Forest on the Linville side of Grandfather Mountain.
LINVILLE, N.C. â A brushfire is burning on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain in Avery County.
A photo submitted by WCNC Charlotte viewer Kyle Kitchin to the WCNC Charlotte app showed the fire burning in the Harpers Creek Wilderness Area from his perspective atop Grandfather Mountain.
A flight-tracking website showed officials using an aircraft to obtain aerial views of the fire inside Pisgah National Forest.
“Units are on scene of a large woods fire on the parkway side of Grandfather Mountain in the Roseboro area,” the Lineville Volunteer Fire Department posted to Facebook. “Expect smoke in the area.”
The size and cause of the fire were not immediately known.
Firefighters are working to control the fire ahead of forecast high winds Saturday. Weather conditions on Christmas Day are expected to be breezy with a northwest wind between 18 to 21 mph with gusts as high as 34 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Both North Carolina and South Carolina remain in drought because of a rainfall deficit.
While a statewide burn ban has since been lifted since a large fire burned earlier this month on Pilot Mountain, brush conditions remain dry across the region.
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Smoke from the fire burning near Grandfather Mountain could impact air quality in the area.