Evacuation underway in Lake Lure community due to wildfire

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Wildfires continue to burn across western North Carolina as the region awaits a break in the recent run of dry weather.

An evacuation process was initiated Tuesday with limited evacuations in the Quail Ridge area and Huntington Road areas of Rumbling Bald Resort, under the jurisdiction of the Lake Lure Fire Department, in consultation with the N.C. Forest Service.

Emergency personnel were going to these areas door-to-door to evacuate residents.

If contacted, please be ready to vacate your home immediately, officials said.

This evacuation order will impact between 25-35 homes.

Affected Roads are:

Blue Bird Rd, Raptor Ct, Bold Rd, Bold Ct, Knob Ln, Bald Mtn Crescent, Glade Ct, Swallow Ln, Big Rock Ln, Cardinal Rd, Crow Rd, Ravenwoods Ct, Hummingbird Ct., Thrush Ct, Highlands Rd.

Temporary housing for evacuees will be arranged through Rumbling Bald Resort by calling 828.694.3046.

Check this out! @NASA satellite image of wildfires in the SE from yesterday. That smoke will shift farther east today. #NASAWorldview pic.twitter.com/xlFT4cbLv9
— Keith Monday (@kmondayWSOC9) November 8, 2016

A burn ban is in effect for 25 counties in western North Carolina, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the state Forest Service.

Firefighters are working to contain a wildfire at the South Mountains State Park that has already burned more than 50-acres. pic.twitter.com/te7ShzhIWV
— Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) November 8, 2016

Dry conditions have sparked large fires, including one at South Mountains State Park in Burke County.

Firefighters scrambled to build fire lines around the Chestnut Knob fire south of Morganton.

The South Mountains State Park closed after more than 50 acres burned there.

More than three dozen firefighters were at the state park Tuesday, some coming from as far away as the North Carolina coast.

"I was down on Hurricane Matthew when I was assigned here,” said Dusty Desteuner of the North Carolina Forest Service. “I'm not from around here, but I know it's dry from looking at it."

The dry conditions had fire crews setting backfires Tuesday in hopes of burning out areas ahead of the wildfire.

They expect wind gusts Wednesday of more than 20 mph, which will fuel the wildfire.

Camper Andrea Fackler and her husband were packing up their horses and dog and leaving the area.

"They said, ‘You guys need to load up and head out,'" Fackler said. "We didn't expect to be burned out or have a forest fire, kind of like a war zone with all the helicopters."

Choppers have been continuously dropping water onto the blaze.

Smoke from the fire has spread more than 10 miles away to surrounding counties.

Fires also continue to burn in the Nantahala National Forest, leading to emergency closures, including the Appalachian Trail, which is now closed from Rock Gap to the Nantahala River.

BURN BAN: 25 counties (yellow) included in a burn ban in #NC. Does not include Mecklenburg County. @wsoctv #ncwx pic.twitter.com/Bn5m6I4fZj
— WSOCWeather (@WSOCWeather) November 8, 2016

Burn bans enacted until further notice in these counties: