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2nd wildfire breaks out in Helene-ravaged North Carolina county as "significant progress" made in Crooked Creek Fire, officials say

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Trump takes questions after arriving in North Carolina to see Hurricane Helene damage 14:59

A second wildfire has erupted in western North Carolina's McDowell County, an area that was ravaged by Hurricane Helene just four months ago, nearly to the day, officials said. The fire, dubbed the North Fork Fire, comes a day after the Crooked Creek Fire suddenly arose in the county's town of Old Fort, a town of just 800 people.

McDowell County Emergency Services said Thursday morning that they are actively monitoring the North Fork Fire, which has so far grown to 60 acres and is 0% contained. At this time, the department said, "there is no imminent threat to structures." 

The fire is burning in what the department described as "rugged terrain" above the North Fork of the Catawba River. High winds on Wednesday caused it to grow in the afternoon after it was reported at 4 p.m. local time.

"Smoke impacts are likely this afternoon and overnight in the Marion and Lake James area," officials warned. "The public is urged to use caution when driving through smoke, especially in the evening and morning commutes when smoke settles along the roadways."

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Firefighters with the U.S. Forest Service are responding to the North Fork Fire in North Carolina near Good Road in the Woodlawn community, just west of the North Fork of the Catawba River.  U.S. Forest Service - National Forests in North Carolina via Facebook

"Local fire departments are on scene and working in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service to provide structure protection and monitor fire behavior," the department said. "Crews will continue containment efforts throughout the day."

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Two active wildfires are burning in McDowell County, North Carolina, which was hard-hit by Hurricane Helene just four months ago. CBS News

The North Fork Fire, which is in the town of Marion, arose just hours after the Crooked Creek Fire developed in Old Fort. Originally, McDowell emergency officials described Crooked Creek as "out of control." In their latest update at noon local time on Thursday, they said that the fire was at 220 acres, down from the previously estimated 250 acres, and was 55% contained and that "significant progress" had been made overnight. 

They have now determined the cause of the fire to be a power line that fell during high winds on Wednesday.

"Winds diminished and relative humidity increased leading to lower fire activity," officials said, adding that the progress meant that evacuation orders for affected areas would be lifted at 8 a.m. local time. "Emergency personnel will continue to remain on-site throughout the day to monitor the situation and ensure further containment of the fire."

Some residents received alerts on their cell phones warning them of evacuation orders on Thursday, officials said in their update, but they said that this was due to "a technical issue with cellular networks." 

"There are no active evacuation orders" related to the Crooked Creek fire, they said. "All roads in the Crooked Creek community are now open." 

No injuries or fatalities have been reported. One home was damaged, however, and multiple outbuildings, referring to sheds, garages and buildings of the like, have been destroyed. 

The fires erupted amid high winds that created "dangerous fire conditions," emergency officials previously said. A wind advisory had been issued starting at midnight on Wednesday, with warnings of 15 to 25 mph winds and gusts of up to 50 mph that were expected to last until 6 p.m. local time.

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High winds were felt across western North Carolina on Jan. 29, when a wildfire broke out in Old Fort, one of the towns that was hard-hit by Hurricane Helene. 

The winds only added to the dry conditions being felt in the area. CBS News and Stations meteorologist Nikki Nolan said that Old Fort, which normally receives on average just under 4 inches of rain in January, has so far only received 0.58 inches. Dry conditions are known fuels for fires because of the dry vegetation, and high winds help fires spread more quickly. 

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Most of North Carolina is experiencing dry conditions. 

According to CBS affiliate WNCN, initial reports indicate the fire was started by a tree falling onto a power line. 

Tens of thousands of homes were believed to be damaged across western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene in September. In Old Fort, at least 47 homes and buildings were destroyed in the town of just over 800 people, and 36 other homes were damaged, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times

Thousands of people remain displaced, according to the Citizen-Times

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