The evacuation orders given by the McDowell County Office of Emergency Management were lifted Jan. 30 after an 'out of control' wildfire burned 220 acres.

The 150-acre fire started after a tree fell on a power line on Bat Cave Road in Old Fort, an area already recovering from Helene.

A second wildfire has erupted in western North Carolina's McDowell County, an area that was ravaged by Hurricane Helene just four months ago, nearly to the day, officials said.

The fire is happening while Western North Carolina is under an increased fire danger warning due to gusty winds, making it more difficult to contain.

An “out of control” wildfire burning in western North Carolina is forcing residents to evacuate from their homes on Wednesday, according to the McDowell County officials.

Evacuations were ordered after a wildfire ignited in McDowell County, western North Carolina, on Wednesday, . This is the same area that was hit hard by Hurricane Helene in the fall.

Drone footage captured a wildfire burning over McDowell County in western North Carolina on Wednesday, January 29, as crews continued to battle another wildfire in the area.This footage captured by Side by Side Media shows the Crooked Creek Fire burning just over 20 miles away from Asheville,

Donald Trump, who has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene, which struck North Carolina in September 2024, said that he would like to see states assume more responsibility in the aftermath of natural disasters, rather than the federal government.

Trump says he’ll have Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley working on hurricane relief matters instead of using the Federal Emergency Management Agency

Despite the monumental deluge Helene dumped on the region in late September and the catastrophic flooding, officials have warned about elevated wildfire risks.

CalMatters reports on the alarming issue of home development in highly flammable areas in the state of California.