Mandatory evacuations continued in the Carolinas on Saturday from rapidly spreading mountain wildfires that firefighters from across the United States have battled for days, emergency officials said.
Three fires that merged to form the Black Cove Complex Fire have burned nearly 7,000 acres in Western North Carolina’s Polk and Henderson counties, N.C. Forest Service rangers said Friday night.
The fires engulfed 22 structures, forced evacuations on 18 roads and required an injured firefighter to be airlifted to a hospital .
AmeriCorps NCCC, which sent a team of firefighters, called the Black Cove Complex Fire on Friday the “ highest priority fire in the U.S .”
Nearly 500 firefighters from across the state and nation were on the scene Saturday night, according to the N.C. Forest Service…