Black Bear Fire Still Not Fully Contained

Even though we saw quite a bit of rain over the weekend, the Black Bear Fire burning along the state line is still not 100% contained. The US Forest Service says that the fire has been at 90% containment for the past week but firefighters continue to work to keep the fire from reigniting in places where it is contained. The one part of the fire that is still not contained and continues to burn includes a 120 acre area between Snowbird Creek and Painter Branch. The area has many dead trees, which provide abundant fuel. It is burning in steep terrain, which the forest service says makes uphill spread more likely.

That is the one wildfire that is still burning in the area. That fire was ignited by a tractor trailer accident on I-40 3 miles into North Carolina on the morning of November 16.