Local, state and federal authorities are working to mitigate the possibility of widespread fires.
Along the winding mountainous back roads of western North Carolina, the wood fallen from the devastation created by Hurricane Helen almost six months ago is as far as you can see.
This is a sight where you greet Christie Rodda every day. On September 27, 2024, Helen delivered hurricane strength winds, tornadoes, floods, landslides and landslides to western North Carolina. A few days later, Rododa arrived as a volunteer and planned to stay for a few weeks before returning to Missouri.
However, cybersecurity industry experts have decided to keep it in multiple local organizations that are contributing to the long-term recovery of the region and continue to volunteer.
On a recent March afternoon, Roda mentioned fallen trees stacked on either side of the road while driving to Lone Mountain, where a group of volunteers were helping to rebuild the house.
“Look at all this,” Rodda told the Epoch Times. “It seems it’s never over. What we’re worried about is the risk of wildfires if all this isn’t removed by dry and windy spring or summer.
“It’s difficult to rebuild and recover from what happened in late September. The wildfires make it even more difficult for the communities and people here to fully recover.”
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Federal, state and local governments share Rododa’s concerns.
A few months after Helene, the area experienced flooding from heavy rain, further reducing ground stability, leading to more trees.
Currently, most of the state is in drought, according to the latest US drought monitor report.
Helene’s temperature, gusts of wind, dry conditions and debris pose a fire threat this month. Several wildfires are scorching western North Carolina and parts of South Carolina.
Residents of the old North Carolina fort told the Epoch Times that they are worried about the threat of more storms and wildfires.
“It’s been nearly six months since Helen hit, but the roads are still missing,” he said. “Because Cross Creek is gone, people can’t get to their homes, some people live in tents, campers, sheds, small homes.
“If people get hit by the area where they live and get more storms before all the debris is cleaned, the reconstruction will ripple longer.”
Firefighters fought two wildfires in Buncombe County, North Carolina on March 1, 2025. WLO via CNN Newsource
Corey Davis, National Climate Scientist Advisor for the North Carolina Climate Administration, said residents who clean farmland, fields and gardens pose the most important risks of wildfires.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Forest Service announced it would provide a rescue contract to remove up to 2,200 acres of fallen but commercially usable trees in the Pisgah National Forest.
When dried, wood creates a risk of wildfires, the agency said.
The U.S. Forest Service is working closely with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to coordinate the removal of fallen trees around the trail.
“Hurricane Helen has left devastating damage to most of the forests of western North Carolina, with thousands of acres of blown trees in the Pisgah National Forest alone.”
“The longer we wait, the more likely it is that serious wildfires will threaten Pisgah and our neighboring communities. That’s not simply a risk we willing to take.”
The USDA (USDA) manages the US Forest Service. Earlier this month, Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins investigated the damage left behind by Helen and the recent wildfires.
She took part in a wildfire operational briefing and joined the US Forest Service roundtable with local leaders in Asheville, North Carolina.
“The U.S. Forest Service is well-prepared and strategically positions its resources to assess wildfire risks in advance and respond quickly,” Rollins said. “Their efforts allowed them to quickly contain the fire.
“The USDA continues to work closely with state and local agencies and first responders to support these communities and to restore the public lands that so many rural residents rely on.”
Rollins said the U.S. Forest Service is being prepared for a lively fire season in the South and will work closely with partners to respond effectively.
The North Carolina Forest Service is warning residents about increased risk of wildfires in the coming weeks and months.
Droughts can increase the likelihood that a fire will ignite due to lack of moisture. Spring wildfire season runs through May, with another season arriving in the summer.
Philip Jackson, a spokesman for the North Carolina Forest Service, noted that about half of fires have started statewide when residents burned debris and other items in their backyards.
“Since 99% of our fires are caused by human activity, if we can be aware that people are taking additional precautions and doing things that could involve fires, it means that a large portion of the fire is avoidable,” Jackson said.
For now, most wildfires in North Carolina are included.
“Just because we say a fire is trapped doesn’t mean it’s out, it’s important to note that some firefighters continue to patrol fire containment lines and continue to address the threat to that containment,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service said.
Zachary O’Donnell regulates controlled burns from the Southern Blue Ridge Prescription Burn Association.
He said that when a dry pile of wood is lit, the risk of a controlled fire is uncontrolled.
“If you have a state of growing at a rapid pace like North Carolina, there are more people, and more people are replicating it.
“Most people think of tropical weather when they think of the natural disasters in North Carolina. They think of the winter storms we’ve experienced recently. But they don’t think of wildfires.”
