Incident Publication

April 2, 2025 

Acres: 3,366 acres                                                                                       Start Date: 03/22/2025 

Location: Clayton, GA                                                                                   Personnel: 246 

Containment: 88%                                                                                        Fuels: Timber 

Resources: 5 crews | 11 engines | 4 dozers | 1 helicopter 

Highlights: Today there is a 30% chance of afternoon thunderstorms on the Big Ridge Fire.  Crews continued to make good progress on direct line construction Wednesday and the only uncontained portion of the fire is in the south between Hoods Creek and Walnut Fork.  Structure protection specialists from the Georgia Forestry Commission will continue visiting communities around the Big Ridge Fire. 

Fire Activity: No fire spread is expected today.  The only remaining heat on the fire consists of large logs and stump holes.  Crews will be focused on finding and extinguishing these remaining sources of heat on the fire.  Another activity occurring today is fireline repair, which consists of restoring any damage caused by suppression actions. 

The U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations is seeking information regarding the circumstances around the cause of the Big Ridge Fire. If anyone was in the area on March 22, 2025, and observed suspicious activity please call the Georgia Forestry Commission Arson Hotline 1-800-428-7337.

Weather:  Today is the start of a warming trend, but humidity will remain high.  The forecast calls for 75 degrees, 54% minimum humidity, and winds southeast 13 mph. There will be occasional gusts to 24.  Tomorrow will be very warm with the next good chance of rain coming Sunday.

Evacuations: None.  

Closures: A closure order is in place for the vicinity of the Big Ridge Fire. For details visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-closures/gachf-big-ridge-fire

More Information: 

Air Quality: https://www.airnow.gov/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChattOconeeNF              

Email: 2025.BigRidge@firenet.gov 

Fire Information: 770-230-1020    

Big Ridge Fire Recorded Information Line: 706-982-4729                      

Sky Valley

GOOD to MODERATE air quality is expected, with fire activity significantly decreasing.

SMOKE
Much of the area will likely have GOOD to MODERATE air quality. However, strong winds from the south may cause air quality impacts originating outside the outlook area. Greenville, Spartanburg, and Catawba Nation may have periods of MODERATE air.

SPECIAL STATEMENT
Stay informed of evacuation orders, air quality alerts, fire danger information, and other public safety advisories in your area.

HEALTH STATEMENT
Smoke can be harmful to your health. Check with your doctor if there are any health concerns and monitor your local air quality conditions using the Fire and Smoke Map.

Today firefighters on the Upper Lake Ranger District are planning to burn piles in the North Shore Project area. Potentially 34 acres if conditions are favorable.  

Media Contact:

Southern Area Red Team

2025.RattlesnakeBranch@firenet.gov

(828) 519-8242

https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ncncf-rattlesnake-branch

https://www.facebook.com/nfsnc/

Rattlesnake Branch Fire Daily Update -- April 2, 2025

Note: Widespread rainfall this week reduced overall fire danger across much of North Carolina, so the North Carolina Forest Service has lifted a ban on all open burning across the state. Please remain vigilant about burning safely and responsibly. Coinciding with the end of the statewide burn ban, the USDA Forest Service has lifted fire restrictions across the four National Forests in North Carolina. Forest visitors may once again build campfires and use camp stoves and fire rings. However, several areas will continue experience warmer and windy weather in the days ahead, so please exercise extreme caution when burning outdoors.

CRUSO, N.C., April 2, 2025 – The Rattlesnake Branch Fire is on private land and the Shining Rock Wilderness Area on Pisgah National Forest around the community of Cruso, approximately 11 miles southeast of Waynesville, North Carolina. It started on March 26, 2025, and quickly spread due to dry conditions of the hardwood leaves and branches on the ground. The cause remains under investigation.

The fire is approximately 1,851 acres and 24 percent contained. The reduction in acreage is due to better mapping. Nearly 180 personnel are working on the fire.

Yesterday’s Activities

Yesterday the fire did not move, but with sunlight, heat in some large logs and dead trees came to life as flames. Firefighters continued to patrol, hold and mop up areas burned on the Rattlesnake Branch Fire and construct fire lines to protect homes outside the fire footprint. Around Cruso, they patrolled along US 276 and homes to ensure no heat remains in those areas. Structure protection was a focus of work in the Burnette Cove Road area, including using leaf blowers to remove dead leaves and other debris away from structures.

Firefighters used the support of a local resident in identifying locations for fire lines north and west of the fire footprint, including an area close to the Shining Rock Wilderness Area boundary around Lenoir Creek. The intelligence will be used to connect potential fire lines along a system of roads in the Dix Creek/Pollyanna Creek area and old Jeep trails and logging roads further to the west. Areas around Rickman Fields and Sorrells Creek were also identified as places for potential control lines. With clear air, the drone flew an infrared mission to better map the fire.

Today’s Activities

Today, crews will continue to improve, hold and monitor fire lines, mopping up as necessary, to secure the fire’s edge around powerlines and private property in Cruso, along US-276, Crawford Creek and Rattlesnake Branch Road. In the Burnette Cove Road area, firefighters will continue to extend fire containment lines to protect private properties northward towards the East Fork of the Pigeon River. Firefighters will prepare Lenoir Creek to serve as a reliable containment line. They will continue to assess and gather data for a structure protection plan around Burnette Cove, Lenoir Lane, Dix Creek Road, Frazier Road, Little East Fork Road and the Camp Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp.

Scouting for potential fire lines will continue outside of wilderness north, northwest and west of the fire including Dix Creek Road, Chambers Cove Road, Rocky Branch Road and Murray Cove Road. Crews will remove downed trees from Glacier Road to improve access to potential fire line locations.

In the wilderness, firefighters will use only chainsaws, leaf blowers and bucket water drops from helicopters as necessary and will coordinate with a resource advisor to protect wilderness values during fire suppression operations. This includes determining appropriate areas from which to draft water.

A drone is assigned to the fire to help with aerial ignition, mapping and reconnaissance. Today the drone will fly to do some infrared mapping of the fire, launching from the Schoolhouse Branch Road area west of the fire. Other aircraft available include two large helicopters, two small helicopters, an air attack platform and two fixed-wing “super scoopers”.

Weather/Fire Behavior: Today will be partly to mostly cloudy. The afternoon has a 50-percent chance of showers and a possible thunderstorm. The high temperature will be 61-64 degrees with 49-55-percent minimum relative humidity. Winds will be south/southeast, 11 mph with gusts 14-28 mph.

Even though yesterday was a good drying day, dead hardwood leaves on the ground retain moisture for a few days after a wetting rain. With today’s cloud cover keeping ground cover moist, minimal fire activity is expected. Heat retained in large logs and dead trees may come to life as they did yesterday. Live and dead vegetation on the ground may become receptive to fire in exposed areas on southern-facing or canopy-damaged slopes and ridges later in the day if cloud cover decreases. Air quality information is available at Smoke Outlook for Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina, www.airnow.gov and www.wildlandfiresmoke.net.

Closures and Restrictions: The Pisgah National Forest has issued an area closure of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area to protect the public from wildfire and firefighting operations. This closure includes all National Forest System land between US-276 and NC-215 north of the Blue Ridge Parkway (between mile markers 405 and 420). Please stay safe and keep out of these areas

A temporary flight restriction is in effect in and around the fire area. This includes use of personal drones. If you fly, we cannot fly!

For wildfire updates, follow the National Forests in North Carolina on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nfsnc or visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ncncf-rattlesnake-branch.  

Fire Information: 803-906-9730 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 

Email: 2025.tablerockcomplex@firenet.gov 

 Table Rock Fire
Size:     13,564 acres

            12,929 acres (SC)
            635 acres (NC)
Containment: 68 percent
Fire Start Date: March 21, 2025
Cause: Human-caused        

Tuesday saw a significant jump in containment on the Table Rock Fire as it increased from 30 percent to 68 percent. Several unmanned aircraft flights identified a small number of hotspots near the fire’s edge that will be addressed today. In general, infrared mapping revealed that the fire perimeter is secure even though heat remains on the interior of the fire. Firefighters will continue to patrol the perimeter of the fire, drop any snags that could fall across containment lines and mop-up any hotspots near the line. Crews will begin backhauling equipment today. This involves removing hoses, pumps and other equipment so it can be refurbished and reused on future fires. 

Persimmon Ridge Fire

Size: 2,078 acres
Containment: 74 percent
Fire Start Date: March 22, 2025
Cause: Human-caused

Firefighters on the Persimmon Ridge Fire will continue using heavy equipment to break up large, downed trees from Hurricane Helene to reduce the amount of fuel available to burn. Fire engines will patrol the containment lines and extinguish any remaining hotspots near the fire perimeter.

Safety Message: Slow down and move over when encountering firefighters on the road. On Tuesday, fire personnel experienced a near miss between firefighters and a private vehicle. Please be aware that firefighters, engines, and equipment may be moving slowly or stopped on local roads. Drivers are urged to slow down and give fire crews space to work.

Weather and Fire Behavior:  Rain is expected on the fire this morning, with cloudy conditions throughout the day.  Temperatures will reach the low to mid-70s, with relative humidity remaining high at around 70%. Winds will be light and out of the southeast, shifting to the northeast later this afternoon. 

Closures/Evacuations:  All evacuation orders related to the Table Rock and Persimmon fires have been lifted.

Burn Ban: A burning ban remains in effect for Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Horry counties in South Carolina, with all outdoor burning prohibited. The ban has been lifted for the rest of South Carolina.  A statewide ban on open burning in North Carolina was lifted this morning.

SC Firefighter Mobilization (SC State Fire) Resources: All SC Firefighter Mobilization resources have demobilized. SC State Fire will continue to have a SC-HART crew on standby as a means to provide rapid extraction of an injured wildland crew member, if needed. The Palmetto IST will remain at the incident for as long as SC-HART and the Mobile Command Center is needed.

Command: The Southern Area Blue Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) is managing the Table Rock Complex, in unified command with South Carolina Forestry Commission, North Carolina Forest Service, Greenville County Emergency Management and Pickens County Emergency Management. The incident is supported by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, South Carolina State Fire, South Carolina Military Department, The Nature Conservancy, Greenville Water, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, USDA Forest Service and multiple local fire departments.

Facebook: @PickensCountySC | @GreenvilleCounty | @ForestryCommish |                
                        @TransylvaniaCounty | @NCForestService

Sky Valley
GOOD to MODERATE air due to a potential settling of smoke in the valley overnight.

SMOKE
Much of the area will likely have GOOD to MODERATE air quality. However, lingering smoke remaining trapped in the valleys overnight, especially near Sky Valley and Pickens. Catawba Nation will likely have GOOD air quality.

SPECIAL STATEMENT
Stay informed of evacuation orders, air quality alerts, fire danger information, and other public safety advisories in your area. 

HEALTH STATEMENT
Smoke can be harmful to your health. Check with your doctor if there are any health concerns and monitor your local air quality conditions using the Fire and Smoke Map.

April 2, 2025 

Acres: 3,274 acres                                                                                       Start Date: 03/22/2025 

Location: Clayton, GA                                                                                   Personnel: 246 

Containment: 39%                                                                                        Fuels: Timber 

Resources: 5 crews | 11 engines | 4 dozers | 1 helicopter 

Highlights: Additional rain is expected today on the Big Ridge Fire, with the possibility of 0.15 to 0.25 inches. Crews made good progress on direct line construction Tuesday. The change in acres is due to more accurate mapping, not fire growth. Structure protection specialists from the Georgia Forestry Commission will continue visiting communities around the Big Ridge Fire along Warwoman Creek. 

Fire Activity: Minimal fire spread is expected today, with the only activity expected to be smoldering. The areas of primary focus today will be the line from Wilson Knob to Forest Service Road 155, and then the east side of the fire from Rabun Bald to Sarah’s Creek. Firefighters will mop up all areas where direct lines have been completed. This activity consists of putting out all remaining pockets of heat, such as stump holes, logs, and deep layers of duff.

The U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations is seeking information regarding the circumstances around the cause of the Big Ridge Fire. If anyone was in the area on March 22, 2025, and observed suspicious activity please call the Georgia Forestry Commission Arson Hotline 1-800-428-7337.

Weather:  Today cooler temperatures and higher humidity will return with expected high temperature of 61 degrees, 80% minimum humidity, and winds south-southeast 10 mph. There will be occasional gusts to 22 mph. Tomorrow will start a warming and drying trend with the next chance of rain coming Sunday.

Evacuations: None.  

Closures: A closure order is in place for the vicinity of the Big Ridge Fire. For details visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-closures/gachf-big-ridge-fire

More Information: 

Air Quality: https://www.airnow.gov/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChattOconeeNF              

Email: 2025.BigRidge@firenet.gov 

Fire Information: 770-230-1020    

Big Ridge Fire Recorded Information Line: 706-982-4729                      

Fire Information: 803-906-9730 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 

Evacuation Information: 864-467-3428 

Email: 2025.tablerockcomplex@firenet.gov 

 Table Rock Fire
Size: 10,894 acres (SC)
         574 acres (NC)
Containment: 9 percent
Fire Start Date: March 21, 2025
Cause: Human-caused

On Saturday, firefighters had a successful strategic firing operation on the western perimeter connecting the fire to existing dozer lines. The fire grew to the north, slowing at the ridge top as it crossed over into North Carolina. On the northeast perimeter, the fire grew west of Matthews Creek. Expected rain this afternoon will support holding containment lines where strategic firing operations occurred Saturday, while also providing more opportunities to go direct where the fire crossed into Transylvania County, North Carolina. 

Persimmon Ridge Fire

Size: 2,078 acres
Containment: 24 percent
Fire Start Date: March 22, 2025
Cause: Human-caused

Firefighters continue to secure containment lines on the east perimeter of the Persimmon Ridge fire. Containment lines along Highway 276 on the southwest perimeter are secure. 

Weather and Fire Behavior:  Potential thunderstorms this afternoon with approximately 1/4-inch of rainfall across the fire today with winds from the south to southeast, allowing firefighters to strengthen containment lines.  A return to drier conditions is expected Monday and Tuesday.       

Closures/Evacuations: Mandatory evacuation is still in place for some residents of Greenville County. South Carolina evacuation guidelines have been updated from mandatory to voluntary for those in Pickens County. Find updates on Facebook for @PickensCountySC and @GreenvilleCounty, or call 864-467-3428.

Burn Ban: A statewide burning ban remains in effect - all outdoor burning prohibited - including yard debris burning, prescribed burning, campfires, bonfires and other recreational fires in all unincorporated areas of the state. 

Incident Resources: 19 hand crews, 5 helicopters, 26 Engines, 334 personnel 

SC Firefighter Mobilization (SC State Fire) Resources: 15 brush trucks, 12 engines, 9 water tenders, 3 UTVs, 115 personnel

Command: The Southern Area Blue Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) is managing the Table Rock Complex, in unified command with South Carolina Forestry Commission, Greenville County Emergency Management and Pickens County Emergency Management. The incident is supported by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, South Carolina State Fire, North Carolina Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Greenville Water, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, USDA Forest Service and multiple local fire departments.

Facebook: @PickensCountySC | @GreenvilleCounty | @ForestryCommish |                
                        @TransylvaniaCounty

Fire Information: 803-906-9730 (8 a.m.-8 p.m.) 

Evacuation Information: 864-467-3428  

Email: 2025.tablerockcomplex@firenet.gov 

 Table Rock Fire
Size: 13,191 acres (SC)
         574 acres (NC)
Containment: 30 percent
Fire Start Date: March 21, 2025
Cause: Human-caused        

Moist conditions on Sunday greatly reduced fire activity and allowed crews to work directly along the fire’s edge.  The perimeter of the Table Rock Fire did not increase – the additional acreage showing today was due to a successful burnout on the southwest part of the fire. Priority areas for today’s actions include completing firelines on the North Carolina portion of the fire. Firefighters will be scouting for opportunities to directly construct lines in the Raven Cliffs area to keep the fire from spreading into Matthews Creek. Firefighters will also  continue to reinforce firelines to the west and northeast by using water to cool hot spots that continue to smolder.

Persimmon Ridge Fire

Size: 2,078 acres
Containment: 64 percent
Fire Start Date: March 22, 2025
Cause: Human-caused

This fire has not increased in acreage in several days.  Firefighters will concentrate efforts today on the eastern edge where Hurricane Helene debris is causing challenges. Additional equipment will be assigned to this area that will be used to break up this debris and allow firefighters to mop up the fallen trees and other material that is retaining heat. 

Weather and Fire Behavior:  Rainfall amounts ranging from 0.92 to 0.96 inches were recorded during the last 24 hours. Additional rainfall of approximately 0.5 inch is expected today. There is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms between noon and 2:00pm which could cause operations to pause briefly on both fires. 

Closures/Evacuations: Mandatory evacuation is still in place for some residents of Greenville County. South Carolina evacuation guidelines have been updated from mandatory to voluntary for those in Pickens County. Find updates on Facebook for @PickensCountySC and @GreenvilleCounty, or call 864-467-3428. No current mandatory evacuations are in place for Transylvania County, NC - https://www.transylvaniacounty.org/

Burn Ban: A burning ban remains in effect for Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Horry counties in South Carolina - all outdoor burning prohibited - including yard debris burning, prescribed burning, campfires, bonfires and other recreational fires in all unincorporated areas of South Carolina. The ban has been lifted for the rest of South Carolina.  A statewide ban on open burning remains in place for all counties in North Carolina.

Incident Resources: 5 hand crews, 4 helicopters, 45 Engines, 376 personnel 

SC Firefighter Mobilization (SC State Fire) Resources: 8 brush trucks, 9 engines, 2 water tenders, 5 UTVs, 64 personnel

Command: The Southern Area Blue Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) is managing the Table Rock Complex, in unified command with South Carolina Forestry Commission, North Carolina Forest Service, Greenville County Emergency Management and Pickens County Emergency Management. The incident is supported by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, South Carolina State Fire, South Carolina Military Department, , The Nature Conservancy, Greenville Water, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, USDA Forest Service and multiple local fire departments.

Facebook: @PickensCountySC | @GreenvilleCounty | @ForestryCommish |                
                        @TransylvaniaCounty | @ NCForestService