Amid staffing shortages at N.C. Forest Service, inmate firefighters in a state program are battling more WNC wildfires.

BPR spoke with three Forest Service employees who worked on wildfires throughout the WNC communities they call home.

Firefighters continue to make steady progress on the Black Cove Complex fires as cold and wet conditions moved back into the area Wednesday. Precipitation has played a key role in helping firefighters ...

Crews will continue mop-up operations across the Black Cove Complex on Thursday, April 3. Firefighters will focus on ...

People like to start fires,” said Robert Scheller, a forestry and environmental resources professor at N.C. State. “We’re ...

In conjunction with the North Carolina Forest Service, the Polk County Fire Marshal’s Office lifted the county-wide burn ban ...

A damp Monday, March 31 brought relief to firefighters on the ground, however, the North Carolina Forest Service continues to ...

Wildfires in Polk County, North Carolina have burned over 4,700 acres and ... Both the Deep Woods Fire and the Black Cove Fire grew in Green River Cove over the weekend, together totaling 4,621 acres, ...

Evacuations: Evacuation levels are constantly being assessed based on fire activity. For updated or current evacuation notices for Polk County, please refer to Polk County’s website. For updated or ...

From this vantage point, Bill Wilson watches as Chinook helicopters, spotter planes and air tankers launch an aerial fight ...

The North Carolina Forest Service on Wednesday lifted a burn ban for all counties as wildfire conditions improve in the western portion of the state.

The Alarka Five Fire has now burned 1,515 acres and remains at 37% containment, according to Swain County Emergency ...