Dry, Windy Weather in North Carolina Increasing Mountain Wildfires

Windy and dry conditions are causing an increase in the number of wildfires in the North Carolina mountains.

Media outlets report that a 60-acre fire near Bearwallow Mountain southeast of Asheville that firefighters have been battling this week is largely contained but still burning.

As of Friday morning, there were about 20 active forest fires in the western third of the state. Michael Cheek of the North Carolina Forest Service says two of the fires near Marion have consumed more than 100 acres each. The rest of the fires are much smaller.

The Forestry Service reports that, on Wednesday, almost 40 fires were reported in the state that burned just over 225 acres.

The forest fire season runs from late February through early May.