County emergency management and state officials renamed the wildfire after my reporting exposed maps showing the fire is in Chimney Rock, not Lake Lure
By Annie Dance | Cops & Congress | News & Commentary
HAIRCOMB GAP / CHIMNEY ROCK, N.C. — A wildfire in western North Carolina has reached 75% containment of 20.4 acres, according to state fire maps. Conflicting statements from officials early in the incident have still left residents and observers questioning the facts. I first exclusively broke the story on New Year’s Eve.
Despite early repeated references in social media and press releases as the “Lake Lure Fire” and the “Shumont Mountain” fire, the blaze is burning in Chimney Rock, near 905 Bald Mountain Road, within Rutherford County. That location is confirmed by fire perimeter data from the North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS) and satellite-based heat detection maintained by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) is a free web mapping platform offered by NASA as part of its Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program.
The incident is now officially listed as the Haircomb Gap Fire, a name adopted by Rutherford County Emergency Management hours after questions were raised publicly about earlier references to the blaze as the “Lake Lure Fire.”
Haircomb Gap was previously burned less than ten years ago during the Party Rock fire, according to a report I obtained from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).
Rutherford County Emergency Management said in a Facebook (Meta) update that the North Carolina Forest Service managed the fire through the night and has assumed operational control. No local fire units were assigned to the scene as of Friday morning, RCEM said.
Officials emphasized that no evacuations have been ordered and that structures are no longer threatened. Firefighters credited favorable conditions and containment lines for holding the fire within its established perimeter.
Broad River Fire & Rescue also issued a public update, addressing and dispelling online rumors that the fire may have been caused by fireworks. The department said the cause remains undetermined and is under active investigation.
In a separate update, authorities reported that an overnight wildfire in nearby Swannanoa, in Buncombe County, was fully contained, underscoring what fire officials describe as heightened wildfire activity in western NC during a typically dry period of the year.
Fire officials urged residents to use caution with outdoor burning and other activities that could spark fires, noting that winter conditions can still present elevated wildfire risks in western North Carolina. The North Carolina Forest Service advises the public to follow state burn regulations and to remain alert to changing fire weather conditions.
Hurricane Helene left long-term impacts on forests that increase wildfire risk, according to a lengthy state report (WCAB News).
Containment figures and acreage estimates are subject to change as crews continue assessments.
