Natural Crisis 2.0
Is a very surreal feeling to be sitting here writing this from yet another “basecamp” amidst another sobering crisis in Western North Carolina. The wildfires that began 9 days ago near Saluda, NC (Three separate fires...each named “The Deep Woods”, “Black Cove” and “Fish Hook” fires have now been consolidated under one name...”The Black Cove Fire Complex” are located just north of I-26 above and to the Northeast of Saluda.
If you’ve read many of my other posts over the summer you would have learned a little bit about the Green River Wild Gamelands (where the Upper Green River is located) and Green River Cove (where the Lower Green River is located). This is where these fires are centrally located...right smack in the center of the Green River Gorge.
(Another area that is on fire adjacent to Green River Cove is the forested areas where Cove Creek flows through. This is where the trails to Little Bradley Falls and Big Bradley Falls are located).
Post-Helene you heard me talk about the devastation in and around the Green River and the enormous amount of tree damage there was in these areas.
Much of what is burning is downed trees from Helene...but please note here...the Army Corp of Engineers have been working to remove tons and tons of deadwood in an around the Lower Green River area for the past few weeks...and had this not been done prior to now...I suspect the fires burning down there would be a LOT more intense.
There are residences scattered throughout some of these mountainous areas and Polk County has done an excellent job creating an evolving map showing areas of warning to prepare ahead of time if mandatory evacuations are declared.
I mentioned in an earlier post that the “not knowing” where the fire was moving to next was problematic. It was like knowing there was a storm coming but not being able to view radar to see what direction it was headed. After a few days, fire management teams recognized this need and implemented this color coded “Evacuation Map”.
You can view this realtime “Evacuation Map” by clicking below.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1usnYrYs6pofyEWfoza7jmsfVU3OZWGs&ll=35.25509241290396%2C-82.36026564076737&z=13
It became pretty obvious to me early on that the fire management teams were learning on the fly just like we were. And many thanks and kudos for their adaptability as we all roll with this...yet another...crisis as it unfolds.
So now...9 days in...we have some valuable resources to use to better prepare and plan for how we need to respond for our own safety.
1- The Polk County Emergency Management “Evacuation Map”
2- Updates viewed at Polk County Management and Saluda Fire and Rescue Facebook pages.
3- fire.airnow.gov online wildfire location map
Once you know what the imminent danger is to your front door step it becomes much easier to make the necessary decisions to stay or to go.
Please note here too...when you’re THIS close to these fires you KNOW they are there. You see the smoke, you smell the smoke, you hear the helicopters and circling planes, you hear the emergency vehicle sirens. But what you can’t know...is which way these fires are moving. It’s mountainous terrain...so you cannot actually see the fires unless you’re on a higher mountain top looking down on them or can get a view from the air above them.
According to a press release by Polk County Emergency Management published yesterday (March 26th), over 300 firefighters are working to contain the Black Cove fires. With a heavy emphasis being placed on the I-26 boundary lines (near exit 59) to prevent the spread of fire into additional area.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the Black Cove Complex is the highest priority fire in the Southern U.S. Currently, there are 303 personnel from North Carolina and other states across the nation supporting this incident.
Which brings me to the next amazing subject...air support! Apparently you cannot have a wildfire the size of this one (currently over 5,000 acres) and not draw attention to the severity of crisis level.
In the first few days of this, a Chinook and Huey helicopter were deployed to provide structure protection and support. Yesterday, a HUGE DC-10 could be seen circling over the area of these fires. This aircraft can carry up to 12,000 gallons of fire retardant. I’d say...”the big guns” have arrived!
Yesterday afternoon, Polk County Emergency Management published an update to the “Evacuation Map” which included the area where I live. This update put my area in “get ready” status.
Worthy of note...prior to this moment...I’d been living within 2 miles of these fires with all the things...the smoke...the sounds...the announcements of mandatory evacuation areas daily since the 19th. This shift was what pushed me to finish packing up essentials and evacuate to a safer location.
After watching this unfold in realtime...I felt like it was only going to get worse before it got better.
Please note...if you’ve read this far...I’m writing from my own personal experiences. Use only County Emergency Management official statements if you are seeking facts over opinions.
Meanwhile there are other very severe and threatening wildfires in the area. These are the Table Rock Fire and the Persimmon Ridge Fire and both a blaze in South Carolina and now the Persimmon Ridge fire has become threatening to the Cedar Mountain Community in North Carolina.
Bottom line? We need rain! And to get to the other side of this...please sing and dance every rain producing song you know.
I’ll post some helpful links in the comments for additional details as things continue to unfold here.
God speed. And stay safe everyone!
Photo Credit: MARCH 24, 2025 - Smoke from Polk County wildfires, as seen from Henderson County, North Carolina. (Photo: WLOS Staff see also wlos.com)