April 4, 2025 

Acres: 3,434 acres                                                                                       Start Date: 03/22/2025 

Location: Clayton, GA                                                                                   Personnel: 224 

Containment: 88%                                                                                        Fuels: Timber 

Resources: 4 crews | 11 engines | 3 dozers | 1 helicopter |1 Masticator| 1 Excavator

Highlights: On Saturday the Southern Area Gold Complex Incident Management Team will turn management of the Big Ridge Fire back to the Forest.  The Forest Type 3 Team will be responsible for completing suppression and repair work on the Fire.  Yesterday structure protection specialists from the Georgia Forestry Commission completed their work around the Big Ridge Fire. 

Fire Activity: No fire spread is expected today.  The only remaining heat on the fire consists of large logs and stump holes.  Crews will be focused on finding and extinguishing these remaining sources of heat on the fire.  Another activity occurring today is fireline repair, which consists of restoring any damage caused by suppression actions. 

The U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations is seeking information regarding the circumstances around the cause of the Big Ridge Fire. If anyone was in the area on March 22, 2025, and observed suspicious activity please call the Georgia Forestry Commission Arson Hotline 1-800-428-7337.

Weather:  The forecast today calls for 82 degrees, 47% minimum humidity, and winds southwest 8-12 mph. There will be occasional gusts to 22. There is a 20% chance of thunderstorms today and tomorrow.  A frontal system is forecast to impact the region Sunday into Sunday night, with widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms expected over the incident area. Chance of wetting rain is 80%.

Evacuations: None.  

Closures: A closure order is in place for the vicinity of the Big Ridge Fire. For details visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-closures/gachf-big-ridge-fire

More Information: 

Air Quality: https://www.airnow.gov/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChattOconeeNF              

Email: 2025.BigRidge@firenet.gov 

Fire Information: 770-530-3950    

Big Ridge Fire Recorded Information Line: 706-982-4729                      

Inciweb:  https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/gachf-big-ridge-fire

Sky Valley

GOOD to MODERATE air quality is expected, with fire activity significantly decreasing.

SMOKE
Much of the area will likely have GOOD to MODERATE air quality. However, strong winds from the south may cause air quality impacts originating outside the outlook area. Greenville, Spartanburg, Pickens, and Taylors may have periods of MODERATE air around midday.

SPECIAL STATEMENT
Stay informed of evacuation orders, air quality alerts, fire danger information, and other public safety advisories in your area.

HEALTH STATEMENT
Smoke can be harmful to your health. Check with your doctor if there are any health concerns and monitor your local air quality conditions using the Fire and Smoke Map.

FINAL OUTLOOK
This is the final smoke outlook for this incident.

Yesterday firefighters completed 20 acres of pile burning in the North Shore project, along High Valley Rd near Lakeview campground. Today firefighters are continuing to take advantage of recent precipitation and snow on the ground. Firefighters will attempt to burn piles in the Bartlett Springs area, potentially 11 acres if conditions are favorable. Smoke impacts have been minimal and confined mainly to the prescribed fire units. Some flames may be visible overnight due to large-diameter logs burning within the pile’s footprint. Conditions in all prescribed fire units are closely monitored and will be patrolled through the weekend and into next week. 

Contact:
Southern Area Red Team
2025.RattlesnakeBranch@firenet.gov
(828) 519-8242
https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ncncf-rattlesnake-branch
https://www.facebook.com/nfsnc/

Rattlesnake Branch Fire Daily Update -- April 3, 2025

CRUSO, N.C., April 3, 2025 – The Rattlesnake Branch Fire is on private land and the Shining Rock Wilderness Area on Pisgah National Forest around the community of Cruso, approximately 11 miles southeast of Waynesville, North Carolina. It started on March 26, 2025, and quickly spread due to dry conditions of the hardwood leaves and branches on the ground. The cause remains under investigation.

The fire is approximately 1,843 acres and 26 percent contained, equating to 93 percent of the fire under a containment strategy. The reduction in acreage is due to better mapping. Nearly 180 personnel are on the fire.

Yesterday’s Activities

Firefighters made good progress yesterday, increasing containment in the Crawford Creek area. They used intelligence gathered from an infrared flight by the drone to find hot spots. Crews mopped them up in Crawford Creek and around homes in Cruso. Structure protection remained a focus of work in the Burnette Cove Road area and structure assessments continued throughout areas around the fire. Firefighters connected fire lines in Lenoir Creek west to Dix Creek. They scouted areas to extend fire containment lines further west and south. Isolated rain showers fell overnight, with some areas possibly receiving up to an inch of precipitation.

Today’s Activities

Due to the good work firefighters have done to contain the fire and construct fire lines, moderated fire activity, and predicted wet weather, firefighters and equipment will begin to be released from the fire today. Management of the fire will transition to monitoring and patrolling, as well as completing data collection for structure protection and potential places for fire line construction. Most of the assessment work will be done northwest and west of the fire, especially in areas near the Camp Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp, including the Fazier and Little East Fork Road systems.

Because the complexity of managing remaining work has decreased, the Southern Area Red Complex Management Team will transition to a Type 3 (smaller) organization on Saturday morning.

A drone is assigned to the fire to help with mapping and reconnaissance and will fly over the fire today. Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are available, if needed.

Weather/Fire Behavior: Today will be partly cloudy with a 40-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. The high temperature will be 69-75 degrees with 43-47 percent minimum relative humidity. Winds will be south to southwest, 10-14 mph with gusts 13-27 mph.

Minimal fire activity is expected again today. Heat retained in large logs and dead trees may come to life. Live and dead vegetation on the ground may become receptive to fire in exposed areas on southern-facing or canopy-damaged slopes and ridges later in the day if cloud cover decreases. Air quality information is available at Smoke Outlook for Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina, www.airnow.gov and www.wildlandfiresmoke.net.

Closures and Restrictions: The Pisgah National Forest has issued an area closure of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area to protect the public from wildfire and firefighting operations. This closure includes all National Forest System land between US-276 and NC-215 north of the Blue Ridge Parkway (between mile markers 405 and 420). Please stay safe and keep out of these areas.

A temporary flight restriction is in effect in and around the fire area. This includes use of personal drones. If you fly, we cannot fly!

For wildfire updates, follow the National Forests in North Carolina on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nfsnc or visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ncncf-rattlesnake-branch.  

April 2, 2025 

Acres: 3,366 acres                                                                                       Start Date: 03/22/2025 

Location: Clayton, GA                                                                                   Personnel: 246 

Containment: 88%                                                                                        Fuels: Timber 

Resources: 5 crews | 11 engines | 4 dozers | 1 helicopter 

Highlights: Today there is a 30% chance of afternoon thunderstorms on the Big Ridge Fire.  Crews continued to make good progress on direct line construction Wednesday and the only uncontained portion of the fire is in the south between Hoods Creek and Walnut Fork.  Structure protection specialists from the Georgia Forestry Commission will continue visiting communities around the Big Ridge Fire. 

Fire Activity: No fire spread is expected today.  The only remaining heat on the fire consists of large logs and stump holes.  Crews will be focused on finding and extinguishing these remaining sources of heat on the fire.  Another activity occurring today is fireline repair, which consists of restoring any damage caused by suppression actions. 

The U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations is seeking information regarding the circumstances around the cause of the Big Ridge Fire. If anyone was in the area on March 22, 2025, and observed suspicious activity please call the Georgia Forestry Commission Arson Hotline 1-800-428-7337.

Weather:  Today is the start of a warming trend, but humidity will remain high.  The forecast calls for 75 degrees, 54% minimum humidity, and winds southeast 13 mph. There will be occasional gusts to 24.  Tomorrow will be very warm with the next good chance of rain coming Sunday.

Evacuations: None.  

Closures: A closure order is in place for the vicinity of the Big Ridge Fire. For details visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-closures/gachf-big-ridge-fire

More Information: 

Air Quality: https://www.airnow.gov/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChattOconeeNF              

Email: 2025.BigRidge@firenet.gov 

Fire Information: 770-230-1020    

Big Ridge Fire Recorded Information Line: 706-982-4729                      

Sky Valley

GOOD to MODERATE air quality is expected, with fire activity significantly decreasing.

SMOKE
Much of the area will likely have GOOD to MODERATE air quality. However, strong winds from the south may cause air quality impacts originating outside the outlook area. Greenville, Spartanburg, and Catawba Nation may have periods of MODERATE air.

SPECIAL STATEMENT
Stay informed of evacuation orders, air quality alerts, fire danger information, and other public safety advisories in your area.

HEALTH STATEMENT
Smoke can be harmful to your health. Check with your doctor if there are any health concerns and monitor your local air quality conditions using the Fire and Smoke Map.

Today firefighters on the Upper Lake Ranger District are planning to burn piles in the North Shore Project area. Potentially 34 acres if conditions are favorable.  

Media Contact:

Southern Area Red Team

2025.RattlesnakeBranch@firenet.gov

(828) 519-8242

https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ncncf-rattlesnake-branch

https://www.facebook.com/nfsnc/

Rattlesnake Branch Fire Daily Update -- April 2, 2025

Note: Widespread rainfall this week reduced overall fire danger across much of North Carolina, so the North Carolina Forest Service has lifted a ban on all open burning across the state. Please remain vigilant about burning safely and responsibly. Coinciding with the end of the statewide burn ban, the USDA Forest Service has lifted fire restrictions across the four National Forests in North Carolina. Forest visitors may once again build campfires and use camp stoves and fire rings. However, several areas will continue experience warmer and windy weather in the days ahead, so please exercise extreme caution when burning outdoors.

CRUSO, N.C., April 2, 2025 – The Rattlesnake Branch Fire is on private land and the Shining Rock Wilderness Area on Pisgah National Forest around the community of Cruso, approximately 11 miles southeast of Waynesville, North Carolina. It started on March 26, 2025, and quickly spread due to dry conditions of the hardwood leaves and branches on the ground. The cause remains under investigation.

The fire is approximately 1,851 acres and 24 percent contained. The reduction in acreage is due to better mapping. Nearly 180 personnel are working on the fire.

Yesterday’s Activities

Yesterday the fire did not move, but with sunlight, heat in some large logs and dead trees came to life as flames. Firefighters continued to patrol, hold and mop up areas burned on the Rattlesnake Branch Fire and construct fire lines to protect homes outside the fire footprint. Around Cruso, they patrolled along US 276 and homes to ensure no heat remains in those areas. Structure protection was a focus of work in the Burnette Cove Road area, including using leaf blowers to remove dead leaves and other debris away from structures.

Firefighters used the support of a local resident in identifying locations for fire lines north and west of the fire footprint, including an area close to the Shining Rock Wilderness Area boundary around Lenoir Creek. The intelligence will be used to connect potential fire lines along a system of roads in the Dix Creek/Pollyanna Creek area and old Jeep trails and logging roads further to the west. Areas around Rickman Fields and Sorrells Creek were also identified as places for potential control lines. With clear air, the drone flew an infrared mission to better map the fire.

Today’s Activities

Today, crews will continue to improve, hold and monitor fire lines, mopping up as necessary, to secure the fire’s edge around powerlines and private property in Cruso, along US-276, Crawford Creek and Rattlesnake Branch Road. In the Burnette Cove Road area, firefighters will continue to extend fire containment lines to protect private properties northward towards the East Fork of the Pigeon River. Firefighters will prepare Lenoir Creek to serve as a reliable containment line. They will continue to assess and gather data for a structure protection plan around Burnette Cove, Lenoir Lane, Dix Creek Road, Frazier Road, Little East Fork Road and the Camp Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp.

Scouting for potential fire lines will continue outside of wilderness north, northwest and west of the fire including Dix Creek Road, Chambers Cove Road, Rocky Branch Road and Murray Cove Road. Crews will remove downed trees from Glacier Road to improve access to potential fire line locations.

In the wilderness, firefighters will use only chainsaws, leaf blowers and bucket water drops from helicopters as necessary and will coordinate with a resource advisor to protect wilderness values during fire suppression operations. This includes determining appropriate areas from which to draft water.

A drone is assigned to the fire to help with aerial ignition, mapping and reconnaissance. Today the drone will fly to do some infrared mapping of the fire, launching from the Schoolhouse Branch Road area west of the fire. Other aircraft available include two large helicopters, two small helicopters, an air attack platform and two fixed-wing “super scoopers”.

Weather/Fire Behavior: Today will be partly to mostly cloudy. The afternoon has a 50-percent chance of showers and a possible thunderstorm. The high temperature will be 61-64 degrees with 49-55-percent minimum relative humidity. Winds will be south/southeast, 11 mph with gusts 14-28 mph.

Even though yesterday was a good drying day, dead hardwood leaves on the ground retain moisture for a few days after a wetting rain. With today’s cloud cover keeping ground cover moist, minimal fire activity is expected. Heat retained in large logs and dead trees may come to life as they did yesterday. Live and dead vegetation on the ground may become receptive to fire in exposed areas on southern-facing or canopy-damaged slopes and ridges later in the day if cloud cover decreases. Air quality information is available at Smoke Outlook for Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina, www.airnow.gov and www.wildlandfiresmoke.net.

Closures and Restrictions: The Pisgah National Forest has issued an area closure of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area to protect the public from wildfire and firefighting operations. This closure includes all National Forest System land between US-276 and NC-215 north of the Blue Ridge Parkway (between mile markers 405 and 420). Please stay safe and keep out of these areas

A temporary flight restriction is in effect in and around the fire area. This includes use of personal drones. If you fly, we cannot fly!

For wildfire updates, follow the National Forests in North Carolina on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nfsnc or visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ncncf-rattlesnake-branch.  

Fire Information: 803-906-9730 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 

Email: 2025.tablerockcomplex@firenet.gov 

 Table Rock Fire
Size:     13,564 acres

            12,929 acres (SC)
            635 acres (NC)
Containment: 68 percent
Fire Start Date: March 21, 2025
Cause: Human-caused        

Tuesday saw a significant jump in containment on the Table Rock Fire as it increased from 30 percent to 68 percent. Several unmanned aircraft flights identified a small number of hotspots near the fire’s edge that will be addressed today. In general, infrared mapping revealed that the fire perimeter is secure even though heat remains on the interior of the fire. Firefighters will continue to patrol the perimeter of the fire, drop any snags that could fall across containment lines and mop-up any hotspots near the line. Crews will begin backhauling equipment today. This involves removing hoses, pumps and other equipment so it can be refurbished and reused on future fires. 

Persimmon Ridge Fire

Size: 2,078 acres
Containment: 74 percent
Fire Start Date: March 22, 2025
Cause: Human-caused

Firefighters on the Persimmon Ridge Fire will continue using heavy equipment to break up large, downed trees from Hurricane Helene to reduce the amount of fuel available to burn. Fire engines will patrol the containment lines and extinguish any remaining hotspots near the fire perimeter.

Safety Message: Slow down and move over when encountering firefighters on the road. On Tuesday, fire personnel experienced a near miss between firefighters and a private vehicle. Please be aware that firefighters, engines, and equipment may be moving slowly or stopped on local roads. Drivers are urged to slow down and give fire crews space to work.

Weather and Fire Behavior:  Rain is expected on the fire this morning, with cloudy conditions throughout the day.  Temperatures will reach the low to mid-70s, with relative humidity remaining high at around 70%. Winds will be light and out of the southeast, shifting to the northeast later this afternoon. 

Closures/Evacuations:  All evacuation orders related to the Table Rock and Persimmon fires have been lifted.

Burn Ban: A burning ban remains in effect for Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Horry counties in South Carolina, with all outdoor burning prohibited. The ban has been lifted for the rest of South Carolina.  A statewide ban on open burning in North Carolina was lifted this morning.

SC Firefighter Mobilization (SC State Fire) Resources: All SC Firefighter Mobilization resources have demobilized. SC State Fire will continue to have a SC-HART crew on standby as a means to provide rapid extraction of an injured wildland crew member, if needed. The Palmetto IST will remain at the incident for as long as SC-HART and the Mobile Command Center is needed.

Command: The Southern Area Blue Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) is managing the Table Rock Complex, in unified command with South Carolina Forestry Commission, North Carolina Forest Service, Greenville County Emergency Management and Pickens County Emergency Management. The incident is supported by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, South Carolina State Fire, South Carolina Military Department, The Nature Conservancy, Greenville Water, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, USDA Forest Service and multiple local fire departments.

Facebook: @PickensCountySC | @GreenvilleCounty | @ForestryCommish |                
                        @TransylvaniaCounty | @NCForestService