Firefighters are responding to a wildfire burning along Old NC 105 (Kistler Memorial Hwy / SR 1238) near Linville Gorge, north of Lake James in Burke County, NC. The Paddy’s Creek Fire was reported Monday afternoon, October, 24, 2016 in the Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest.
The fire is located near the south end of Linville Gorge, adjacent to the Wilderness Area. The total size of the fire is currently estimated at 10 acres. Firefighters worked through the night yesterday to construct containment lines and hold the fire during strong winds. A helicopter will be on scene today. No structures are currently threatened.
In order to protect public safety, the NC Department of Transportation has closed Old NC 105 north of Paddy’s Creek Rd. to the intersection with Forest Service Road (FSRD) 106. The public is asked to heed closures and to stay away from the fire area. At this time, FSRD 106 remains open, and can be accessed from the north end of Old NC 105.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, but is suspected to be human caused. The US Forest Service is leading fire response efforts, with assistance from Burke County REACT, North Cove VFD, and NC Forest Service.
The public is encouraged to use extreme caution with outdoor fires this fall. Western North Carolina is currently in a severe drought and fire danger is extremely high. Dry and windy conditions are predicted to remain in the region through early December.
Update October 27, 2016
Firefighters have fully contained the Paddy’s Creek wildfire burning near Linville Gorge, north of Lake James in Burke County.
Old NC 105 (Kistler Memorial Hwy / SR1238) will reopen at 4:00pm tomorrow, Friday, October 28, 2106. Crews are working to put out remaining hot-spots today, and will continue to monitor the 10-acre fire through the weekend.
The wildfire is located in an area that underwent prescribed burns 3 and 6 years ago to reduce fuels and restore wildlife habitat. This reduction in fuels helped slow the spread of the fire.
The following are paid links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
Copyright © 2011-2023 Internet Brothers. All Rights Reserved. ISSN 2324-6057
Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by Wordpress | Logo by Design Aspirations