Dozens of Southeast Wildfires Continue to Grow, Prompting Air Quality Alerts; Thousands Evacuated in North Carolina

Dozens of wildfires continue to burn in the Southeast, prompting evacuations and air quality alerts in several states from smoke that blankets the region
Fueled by prolonged drought conditions across the region, the fires have burned more than 80,000 acres in five states and have prompted officials to declare states of emergency in Tennessee, North Carolina and Kentucky, reports CNN.

"All of the Southeast is very dry ... fire doesn't know any boundaries," Brian Haines, spokesman for the North Carolina Forest Service, told CNN. "Drought conditions are contributing to drier and larger forest fuels being available. These range from the undergrowth to sticks, leaves and logs. Even the smallest of sparks can ignite these very dry fuels."

According to WNCN, more than a thousand North Carolina residents were evacuated from Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, Bat Cave and Rumbling Bald Resort in Rutherford County after a fire dubbed the Party Rock fire continued to advance near Chimney Rock State Park. The fire has consumed more than 3,700 acres and was 15 percent contained by Tuesday morning, according to InciWeb.
"We're hoping for the best and preparing for the worst," North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said at a news conference Monday.

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