Wildfires rage across western North Carolina, triggers emergency evacuation orders

Destructive wildfires in North Carolina have prompted evacuation orders in one US county whilst emergency teams strive to control the blazes in an area still reeling from Hurricane Helene's impact.

Authorities in North Carolina's Department of Public Safety issued a compulsory evacuation directive at 8.20 pm (local time) Saturday for specific sections of Polk County, situated in the western part of the state, approximately 80 miles west of Charlotte.

The agency posted an urgent warning on social media to residents of particular roads: "Visibility in area will be reduced and roads/evacuation routes can become blocked; if you do not leave now, you could be trapped, injured, or killed."

Officials confirmed the establishment of a shelter in Columbus, North Carolina.

According to the North Carolina Forest Service's digital wildfire tracker, three active fires are burning in Polk County, with two additional blazes in neighbouring Burke and Madison counties, plus another fire in Stokes County along the Virginia border.

The western sector of North Carolina experienced severe damage from Hurricane Helene in September. The devastating floods destroyed over a mile of eastbound lanes on Interstate 40 leading towards eastern Tennessee, with partial road closures lasting until March.

The hurricane's destruction affected 5,000 miles of state-maintained roadways and caused damage to 7,000 private roads, bridges and culverts throughout North Carolina.