11/25/16 - Clear Creek Fire - 1:00pm Update

For a downloadable, printable version of this update, click here.

Community Meeting Tonight, Friday, November 25 at 6:30 pm at the

Grace Community Church, 5182 US 70 W, Marion, NC 28752

Important – Drones are prohibited in the fire vicinity & have the potential to shut down all operations.

Start date:  November 20, 2016

Location:  5 miles NW of Marion, NC

Cause:   Under Investigation

Total Personnel:   389 personnel

Current Size:   2,623 Acres

Containment:  30%

Resources Assigned: Thompson’s Eastern Montana Type II Incident Management Team assumed command of the fire on Nov. 21^st at 8:00 pm. The IMT is working closely with local NC Forest Service, US Forest Service, and McDowell County partners. Resources assigned to the incident include: 10 - Type 2 hand crews, 21 engines, 4 dozers, and 2 helicopters.

Closures: NC Hwy 80 from Toms Creek Road to the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed to nonresidents. Clear Creek Road, at the junction with Old Clear Creek Road, is closed to nonresidents.

Current Status: Fire crews continued to patrol and monitor the southern, eastern and northeastern perimeter of the fire near Clear Creek and Lake Tahoma Roads and extinguished any hot spots they found. Structure assessment and prep work continued in the Locust Cove area. Along the western and northwestern edge of the fire, crews continued to prep, install, and improve indirect fire lines. Helicopter bucket drops were successful in slowing the fire spread along the southwestern edge by delivering 50,000 to 60,000 gallons of water. Overnight, firefighters patrolled and monitored the fire along the southern, eastern and northern edges of the fire.

Planned Actions:  Firefighters working on the southwest and western areas of the fire will continue to construct and improve indirect fire line utilizing dozers and hand crews. Along the northwestern portion of the fire including near Locust Cove, crews will continue to improve fire line in preparation for firing operations as needed. Structure protection work will continue in the Clear Creek Road, NC Hwy 80 and Locust Cove areas. Several aviation resources are available and will assist firefighters as visibility allows in holding the fire lines and slowing fire spread with bucket drops. Night operations are scheduled again for this evening.

Weather:  Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 60’s with humidity levels in the 42-49% range and light winds. Skies will start out partly cloudy and then clear later in the morning.

Smoke:  Smoke information is available at http://ncjic.blogspot.com/p/air-quality-smoke.html

For a downloadable, printable version of the map, click here.

A shelter is available upon request at Nebo Crossing Church for residents affected by the smoke from the Clear Creek Fire. Transportation is available by calling 652-3241 or 652-3982.

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