CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 22 (UPI) ---Officials said a wildfire in South
Carolina has expanded to rural areas, while other southeast states work to
contain fires spread across the region.
The South
Carolina Forestry Commission said that while the Pinnacle Mountain Fire
expanded to rural areas, it does not pose an immediate threat to structures or
local residents.
"Officials
estimate the fire has grown at least an additional 500 acres today to an
approximate total of 6,000 acres," the agency said in a Facebook post.
The U.S.
government's Incident Information System indicates active wildfires in the
southeastern United States have largely been limited to North Carolina and
Georgia.
In North
Carolina, evacuations due to the Party Rock Fire in Buncombe, Henderson, and
Rutherford Counties were canceled on Monday but state environmental officials
said air quality will be
unhealthy in most of western
part of the state. The Party Rock Fire, the cause of which is yet to be
determined, is 45 percent contained as
of Monday afternoon after burning 7,171 acres.
The largest
wildfire in North Carolina, the Tellico
Fire, which was caused by humans, was 91 percent contained as of Monday night
after burning 13,874 acres.
The North
Carolina Forest Service on Monday issued a burning ban in 22 western counties
to "protect lives and property." The ban will be in effect until
further notice.
"Under
North Carolina law, the ban prohibits all open burning in the affected
counties, regardless of whether a permit was issued," he North Carolina
Forest Service said in a statement.
"The issuance of any new permits also has been suspended until the ban is
lifted."
In Georgia,
there are three active wildfires -- all of which within the
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. The largest fire in the state, the Rough
Ridge Fire, which was caused naturally by lightning, was 55 percent contained
as of Monday after burning 27,870 acres.
The Rock Mountain Fire in Georgia, which
humans are blamed for causing, was 30 percent contained as of Monday night
after burning 12,779 acres.
The regional
fires have burned more than 120,000 acres of land in eight states. About 6,300
firefighters, some brought in from states not affected such as California,
fought the flames. About 70 percent of the fires in Tennessee are suspected of
being started by arsonists.
"We
obviously are very concerned about fires in Tennessee, particularly the fact
that it looks like the majority of them were set by arsonists," Tennessee
Gov. Bill Haslam said on Monday. "I can assure you we're going to pursue
those folks with everything they can because the impact on our communities is
huge."
Tennessee has
spent an estimated $5.5 million fighting the flames.
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