Wildfires

Wildfires - Pennsylvania, USA

Two wildfires in a remote part of Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains have burned more than 4,200 acres of forest, and local officials on Friday evening took the rare step of calling on out-of-state firefighters for help.

The larger of the two fires, which has scorched 3,650 acres, was 20% contained Friday evening; the smaller one, which has burned 643 acres, was 80% contained. Officials fear the two fires might merge. One structure and multiple “out buildings” have been destroyed.

Wildfires - North Carolina, Alabama, USA

A wildfire that grew to 2,500 acres Friday forced officials to close Madison County schools and restrict nearby hiking as firefighters worked to corral the blaze while keeping it away from structures.

The Silver Mine Fire began Thursday afternoon in Pisgah National Forest about 1 mile east of Hot Springs near Greene County, Tennessee. Firefighters had it 10 percent contained Friday morning.

In eastern North Carolina, firefighters laboured to gain control over three wildfires that had burned nearly 17,000 acres by Friday. In Hyde and Dare counties, 14,000 acres burned while fire consumed about 1,600 acres in Brunswick County near Wilmington.

Another fire broke out in the 150,000 acre Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, shutting down about 30 miles of U.S. 264, which remained closed Friday morning.