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- State to develop drone program to better respond to disasters like Helene, Florence
- South Carolina residents face deadline to get storm debris out to the curb after Hurricane Helene
- SCDOT to pick up Hurricane Helene debris for a final day in South Carolina
- Hurricane Helene destroyed this county's only hospital. Now, an urgent care facility is caring for the community.
Crews battling 60-acre wildfire in Burke County
Multiple agencies are working to contain a wildfire that burned at least 60 acres on Burkemont Mountain on Friday.
BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Multiple agencies are battling a 60-acre wildfire on Burkemont Mountain Burke County, officials confirmed.
The Salem Fire Department and North Carolina Forest Servicer responded to a report of a large fire in the woods near the Hidden Hills venue around 1:15 a.m. on July 5. When firefighters got to the area, they determined that about 60 acres were burning. Burkemont Mountain is located near South Mountain State Park and is just south of Morganton.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene to contain the fire as quickly as possible. Emergency officials have asked people to avoid the area so firefighters and residents have access to the area while the fire is active. No evacuations have been ordered at this time.
Firefighters from across the foothills are assisting the Salem Fire Department with equipment and manpower. The North Carolina Forest Service has used helicopters to monitor the fire’s growth and provided photos of the fire on Friday. Burke County EMS is providing medical coverage for first responders and Burke County Emergency Management is providing support for all of the agencies involved.
The North Carolina Forest Service oversees the incident and will lead the investigation to determine what caused the fire.
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