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Two wildfires in the Pisgah National Forest in NC burn 80 acres

Map showing the flight path of a Cessna 185 operated by the State of North Carolina orbiting the area of the Cals Creek Fire east of Otto, NC.About 65 firefighters are working to suppress two wildfires in North Carolina that have burned a total of 80 acres.U.S. Forest Service firefighters are responding to two significant fires, including the Camp Daniel Boone Fire that has burned into the Shining Rock Wilderness on the Pisgah National Forest.The fire started on private property off Little East Fork Rd. in Haywood County Friday afternoon, April 3 and has spread into the Shining Rock Wilderness Area on the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest. It has burned 50 acres near the Art Loeb Trail west of Deep Gap. Approximately 40 firefighters are responding from the North Carolina Forest Service and U.S. Forest Service. NC Forest Service helicopters and air tankers made multiple water drops yesterday to try to slow the spread. A U.S. Forest Service helicopter is on scene again today. The northern Art Loeb and Little East Fork trailheads are closed due to the fire and hiking to Deep Gap or the peak of Cold Mountain is discouraged.The Cals Creek Fire is burning east of Highway 23/441 in Macon County near Otto, NC. The 30-acre fire started on private property and is now also burning on U.S. Forest Service land in the Nantahala Ranger District of the Nantahala National Forest. Approximately 25 firefighters from the NC Forest Service and U.S. Forest Service are responding. A NC Forest Service helicopter was used for water drops yesterday.The causes of both fires are under investigation.State and Federal firefighters responded to multiple additional wildfire starts across Western NC yesterday. U.S. Forest Service firefighters also responded to a small fire on the Uwharrie National Forest in the NC Piedmont.Fire danger is expected to remain high through the weekend. The North Carolina Forest Service issued a ban on all open burning for 32 Western North Carolina counties due to hazardous forest fire conditions. The burning ban goes went into effect at 5 p.m. Friday, April 3, 2020, and will remain in effect until further notice.
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Author: Bill Gabbert
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