Firefighters are working to contain the Hurricane Ridge Fire, which has been burning since Wednesday along Interstate 40 in the Harmon Den area on the US Forest Service Appalachian Ranger District in Haywood County, NC. The fire is located east of Interstate 40 off Cold Springs Road.
The Hurricane Ridge Fire, which was reported on Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving, is estimated at 150 acres with no current containment.
Due to the proximity to Interstate 40, smoke may impact visibility on the roadway, particularly in the mornings and evenings through this coming Wednesday. Flames may be visible along the east side of the road. Drivers are urged to use caution in this area. Interstate 40 is expected to remain open. The US Forest Service has issued an emergency closure for Brady Road (FSRD #3526).
Firefighters worked on the Hurricane Ridge Fire Wednesday night and Thanksgiving Day to identify and construct containment lines. Fueled by dry, windy, and unseasonably warm conditions, the fire flanked around Interstate 40 before spreading up-slope to Hurricane Ridge. After topping out on the ridge, the fire is now beginning to back down into the remote Hurricane Creek Drainage. Due to the steep terrain and limited access to the fire edge, fire managers identified a contingency plan using primarily area roads, including Cold Springs Road to the north and Hurricane Creek Road to the south. Helicopters were used for water drops to reduce the intensity of the fire near these firelines.
Aided by rain on Sunday, firefighters are working today to further identify and improve contingency firelines around the perimeter of the Hurricane Creek drainage. Several cabins are within the larger contingency area and are being assessed for fire risk and protection needs. The fire is expected to increase in size as accurate mapping is completed.
70 firefighters from the US Forest Service and North Carolina Forest Service are responding. The response effort is supported by Haywood County Emergency Management and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT). We would especially like to thank the firefighters for their response and sacrifices over the Thanksgiving Holiday. The public is asked to avoid the area as not to interfere with firefighting operations. Please be cautious with fire as conditions will remain dry and windy throughout the area over the next several days. The cause of the Hurricane Ridge Fire is under investigation.
