York County wildfire 100% contained, officials say

The fire happened just north of Clover in the area of Ridge Road in northern York County around 3 p.m. Weather Impact Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich said the fire was reported to be about 20 acres. The South Carolina Forestry Commission reported that the fire was 100% contained at 5:10 p.m. Multiple fire departments were called to the scene and will monitor the area for hotspots. 

The biggest fires are within 20 miles of each other. In North Carolina, the Black Cove, Deep Woods and Fish Hook fires are now being tracked under the consolidated umbrella of the Black Cove complex. The fires, which started in Polk County, have now spread into Henderson County. Over 300 firefighting personnel are battling the wildfire.

Panovich said these fires should be a wake-up call for anyone who thinks the impacts of Helene aren’t being felt in western North Carolina. 

“The wildfires and Helene, they’re not indirectly related, they’re directly related to each other,” Panovich said. “We still have a long way to go to recover up there.”

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein issued a State of Emergency for 30 counties to expand the response to these fires. 

“The wildfires in western North Carolina continue to grow, so I have expanded our State of Emergency,” Stein said in a statement. “Our State Emergency Response Team is responding with every tool at its disposal. Please stay safe and stay alert for any evacuation orders if the fires spread to an area near you.” 

The state of emergency was issued for the following counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey. It also includes the tribal lands held by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.