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Evacuation order issued as crews battle wildfire in McDowell County
The fire had spread to 75 acres as of Tuesday afternoon, McDowell County officials said.
MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C. — Multiple crews are working to contain a wildfire in McDowell County, officials said.
McDowell County Emergency Management said the fire started along Armstrong Creek Road, just off North Carolina Highway 226 in Turkey Cove. As of 11:00 p.m., the fire had spread to 175 acres and was 0% contained.
Evacuation orders have been issued for residents on Wild Acres Road near NC 226 around Little Switzerland, N.C., according to McDowell County Emergency Management.
County officials have created an interactive map to display where the evacuation orders are active.
This is the second wildfire to start in the area near Armstrong Creek Road. In February, a fire burned around 50 acres before it was contained. Forecaster Dan Crawley took a photo of the smoke from McDowell High School on Tuesday afternoon. A large cloud of white smoke was visible in the distance.
The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined, but previous wildfires have been sparked by downed power lines during gusty conditions, which were present across the Carolinas on Tuesday. This story will be updated once we learn more information.