South Carolina Army National Guard helicopters conduct aerial, water-bucket operations on the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge wildfires, in Pickens County, S.C. on Sunday March 23, 2025. (Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Di Giovine/U.S. Army National Guard via AP )
TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Transylvania County remains under a State of Emergency as three significant wildfires threaten the area, including the Table Rock Complex fires.
TABLE ROCK FIRE
The Table Rock Fire, which originated from South Carolina, has now reached 11,000 acres and has officially breached into Transylvania County.
The Southern Area Blue Team plans to complete a controlled burn of 3,000 acres on the west side of the Table Rock Fire Saturday. This aims to manage the blaze, but may result in increased smoke.
The "Blue Team" began operations in Transylvania County on Friday, March 28 to assist the North Carolina Forest Service in containing fire expansion. This team is also coordinating with South Carolina crews.
LIVE UPDATES (MARCH 29): NORTH CAROLINA WILDFIRES
PERSIMMON RIDGE FIRE
The Persimmon Ridge Fire, which also originated from South Carolina, is now at an estimated 2,000 acres but has not breached into Transylvania County.
The Southern Area Blue Team will work Saturday to maintain the boundaries on this fire and continue containment efforts.
RATTLESNAKE BRANCH FIRE
The Rattlesnake Branch Fire from Haywood County, which the U.S. Forest Service for National Forests in North Carolina says is now at 1,200 acres, has not breached into Transylvania County. The U.S. Forest Service is working to contain this fire.
FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE CONTAINMENT EFFORTS ON BLACK COVE COMPLEX FIRES
EVACUATIONS AND SHELTER:
Transylvania County's evacuation boundary remains unchanged since Wednesday, with 758 structures under mandatory evacuation.
An emergency shelter is available at Transylvania County Parks and Recreation, located at 1078 Ecusta Rd #9. A total of nine people have been registered to this shelter as of Saturday morning. RVs cannot be accommodated at this location. Mountain Falls RV Park, located at 20 Resorts Blvd in Lake Toxaway, is accepting RVs.
CONTAINMENT OPERATIONS:
The Table Rock Complex Fire has directly impacted the Connestee Fire and Cedar Mountain Service Districts, requiring a multi-agency response.
Due to the large size of this fire complex, local law enforcement, state law enforcement and additional state mutual aid emergency management personnel are assisting with this fire. Also in assistance are mutual aid personnel from other North Carolina counties, as well as crews from South Carolina and Georgia.
HEAVY WILDFIRE SMOKE PROMPTS AIR QUALITY ALERTS, HEALTH CONCERNS IN WNC
Transylvania County officials report that anticipated increased winds could lead to further evacuations Saturday.
Air quality in the county Saturday is in the Red Zone, meaning that prolonged exposure could lead to unhealthy conditions. Residents are advised to limit outdoor exposure.
Several transportation closures are in place:
Additional information from Transylvania County can be found at this link.