NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:Rain helps ease wildfires in North Carolina, but reprieve may be short

2025-05-06 20:44:40source:Rekubitcategory:reviews

PINNACLE,NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center N.C. (AP) — Heavy rain and lower temperatures helped slow down some wildfires in North Carolina on Tuesday, including blazes that had prompted evacuations of homes and campgrounds, forestry officials said.

But the reprieve for crews will likely only last through the Thanksgiving weekend, since rain isn’t expected again for another 10 days, according to Shardul Raval, director of fire and aviation for the U.S. Forest Service’s southern region.

“Unless we get some more continuous rain, we will probably be back to being active again in a few days,” he said.

On Saturday, a fire broke out in North Carolina’s Sauratown Mountains and grew to more than 750 acres (303 hectares) by Tuesday, according to Jimmy Holt, a ranger with the North Carolina Forest Service. The rainfall helped crews reach 41% containment Tuesday, Holt said. Evacuations there have been lifted.

Other news Dollywood temporarily suspends park entry due to nearby wildfireIt’s not yet summer in Brazil, but a dangerous heat wave is sweeping the countryFatalities from Maui wildfire reach 100 after death of woman, 78, injured in the disaster

“It’s so much better than it was a couple of days ago,” Holt said.

The Black Bear Fire in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest burned more than 1,800 acres (728 hectares) near the Tennessee state line, closing a portion of the Appalachian Trail in the area, officials said in a statement Tuesday. Despite Monday night’s winds, officials were able to contain the blaze. The rain was expected to further cut down on the fire, but smoke would likely remain as fuels continued to smolder.

“For right now, things will slow down,” said Adrianne Rubiaco, a U.S. Forest Service fire spokesperson in North Carolina. The slower activity will give firefighters a chance to rest and offers a chance to find and extinguish hotspots, instead of just working to slow or stop a fire’s spread, she said.

A red flag warning prompted officials at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which straddles the Tennessee-North Carolina border, to close campgrounds and most roads as a precaution on Monday. Teams were assessing damage Tuesday and planning to reopen roads and facilities once conditions allowed, officials said.

Fire officials in Townsend, Tennessee, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Knoxville, announced an emergency evacuation as crews battled a blaze. It was contained and the evacuation was lifted Tuesday morning.

More:reviews

Recommend

NYPD official indicates that Mangione's family did not send in any tips

New York police officials are speaking out about tips in regard to the Dec. 4 killing of UnitedHealt

Inside Clean Energy: US Battery Storage Soared in 2021, Including These Three Monster Projects

Battery storage is quickly moving from the margins to near the center of the U.S. energy system.In 2

'I still hate LIV': Golf's civil war is over, but how will pro golfers move on?

For months, Rory McIlroy walked the ramparts of the PGA Tour fortress, besieged by the Saudi-funded