Raging wildfire shuts part of the Appalachian Trail, prompts warnings to I-40 drivers
A rapidly spreading wildfire over the weekend closed part of the Appalachian Trail and prompted warnings for Interstate 40 drivers traveling through the North Carolina mountains.
The Black Bear Fire has burned nearly 1,720 rugged acres in Pisgah National Forest just north of I-40 in northern Haywood County, North Carolina Forest Service officials said on Facebook Sunday afternoon.
“I-40 remains OPEN, but expect delays from both directions,” Forest Service officials said. “Check current road conditions at drivenc.gov.”
“For public and firefighter safety, the Appalachian Trail is closed from Interstate 40 to Max Patch,” according to the Forest Service alert.
An I-40 wreck near Tennessee caused the fire to start on Thursday, the Forest Service said. The wreck was caused by a tractor-trailer crash, The Charlotte Observer’s news partner, WSOC reports.
Drivers should avoid the fire area by using I-26 and I-81 between Asheville and Tennessee, the N.C. Department of Transportation urged on DriveNC.gov, the state’s real-time traffic site.
“The fire spread in vegetation north of the highway and rapidly progressed up steep slopes, partially driven by southeast winds,” officials said in the release.
The fire has closed Cold Springs and Brown Gap roads, officials reported.
Smoke from the fire filled part of the Pigeon River Gorge Saturday morning, meteorologists from the National Weather Service office in Greer, South Carolina, said in a 5 a.m. alert.
The smoke caused “sharply reduced visibility” on I-40 between the Harmon Den exit and the Tennessee line, NWS meteorologists said.
“Be on the lookout for slow or stopped traffic in poor visibility due to the smoke, particularly around the tunnel west of the Harmon Den exit,” according to the NWS alert.
“Consider postponing your trip if you can, or take an alternate route to avoid the area near the fire along Interstate 40,” NWS forecasters said.
And “very gusty winds” are expected late Monday into Wednesday across those regions of the state, with heavy rainfall possible most of Tuesday, NWS forecasters said.
.jpeg "collett ridge fire _fitted (1).jpeg")
At 1:15 p.m. Sunday, the fire remained out of control, although no structures are threatened, according to the Forest Service.
As of Sunday, 828 fires burned on state and private lands statewide since Nov. 1, according to the North Carolina Forest Service.
Saturday, firefighters also battled several small fires across the region, protecting 20 structures worth about $100 million, Forest Service officials said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published November 18, 2023 at 10:43 AM.