BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Flood Warning National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC 534 AM EST FRI FEB 22 2019
The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a
* Flood Warning for... South central Macon County in western North Carolina...
* Until 1130 AM EST Friday.
* At 529 AM EST, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated that 1.5 to 2 inches of rain fell across portion of Macon County over the past 12 hours. Radar indicates additional showers moving over the region now, producing localized one-quarter inch per hour rainfall rates in the heaviest downpours. This will worsen existing flooding along the Little Tennessee River near Otto, and nearby tributaries.
* Some locations that will experience flooding include... Otto. The current stage along the Little Tennessee River at Otto is 17.3 feet. At this stage, Riverside Road will be Flooded, as will the park alongside the river.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Do not attempt to cross water-covered roadways, bridges, or low-level crossings. Only a few inches of rapidly flowing water can carry away your vehicle. It is not worth the risk. Please TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN.
Only when it is safe to do so, please report floodwaters or landslides flowing over roads or threatening property to the National Weather Service by calling toll-free, 1, 800, 2 6 7, 8 1 0 1, by posting on our Facebook page, or via Twitter using hashtag NWSGSP. Your message should describe the event and the specific location where it occurred, including roadways, nearby cross streets, stream names and other landmarks.
published at 5:38am on Friday, Feb 22, 2019
#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconSafety
WEATHER SPONSOR
Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing and public safety updates for the month. They have all your masonry products (block, mortars, tools), plus feature Belgrade Pavers and Sakrete Products. Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC.
Visit their page at: https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/
Their phone number is 828.524.8545, all are welcome, let them help you with your next project.
At 1:54 pm on the afternoon of february 17, 2017, the North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS) and Otto Fire Department were called out to a report that a brush fire had gotten out of control near the Mulberry Road and Crystal Creek Road. Otto quickly called for Station 5 out of Rabun County to assist them with structure protection. Shortly after 2:30 pm, NC Forest personnel reported the fire had grown to approximately 10 to 15 acres and had the potential to grow to the neighborhood of 300 to 500 acres. United States Forest Service (USFS) also had units respond to the fire, including a dozer and a helicopter. The helicopter was eventually diverted to the Cold Mountain Fire after taking a lap around the Long Ridge Fire and taking on fuel at the Macon County Airport. At 3:40 pm, NC Forest Service personnel reported the head of the fire had been caught and they were in the processing of tying lines together around the fire. More will be added to this narrative as it develops. A play by play is posted below that goes into detail of what has been reported about the fire. Macon MEdia has provided a live feed of the radio traffic from the fire at MaconScan.com. In case things get too busy, the Facebook post has been included. It will update when Macon Media posts on the Facebook Page.
Original Post on Facebook:
NC Forest Service and Otto Fire Department are responding to report of a brush fire out of control near 4500 Mulberry Road.
time 1:55 pm on 02-17-2017
radio maconscan(dot)com Here is the play by play (Live Blog) of the events as they happen in reverse chronological order. (Newest information at the top and oldest information at the bottom).
**5:28 pm** NCFS Signal 14 - Fire Size 6 acres, 8 structures endangered. Lines are around the fire and they're mopping it up. **5:26 pm** USFS report the Long Ridge Fire size to be 6 to 7 acres in size and 100% contained. **4:27 pm** This post has been mirrored on the blog at http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2017/02/long-ridge-fire.html It also includes a Google Earth image of the approximate location of the fire. **3:55 pm** N12HX has landed at the Macon County Airport.
**3:45 pm** Helicopter N12HX has done a lap around the Long Ridge Fire and is enroute to the Macon County airport to take on fuel and wait for LatLon on the Cold Mountain Fire.
**3:40 pm** NCFS units report they've caught the head of the fire and are tying in lines around the fire. [This is a very good report] **3:35 pm** Asheville Dispatch has told helicopter N12HX to set down at the Long Ridge Helispot until they can get a LatLon on the Cold Mountain Fire. The helicopter has a 5 minute ETA to the Long Ridge Fire.
**3:34 pm** Long Ridge Command said they could have the helicopter.
**3:31 pm** Asheville Dispatch has asked Long Ridge Command if they can redeploy the helicopter on another fire. (This may be the Cold Mountain Fire)
**3:06 pm** Clarks Chapel truck #1351 will be standing by at the Otto Substation to handle calls in the Otto Fire District.
**3:00 pm** A dozer has arrived onscene. The USFS seem to think they can catch this thing before it gets too large.
**2:55 pm** USFS report the helicopter has a 45 minute ETA. It is enroute from Morganton, NC.
**2:32 pm** NC Forest Service report the fire is about 10 to 15 acres in size and has the potential to grow to 300 to 500 acres potential. Otto and Station 5 have been placed on structure protection. It is mostly on government land.
The fire has been named Long Ridge Fire.
**2:25 pm **USFS Dozer-3111 is also enroute to this fire. LatLon reported as N 35° 01.155; by W 83° 23.822' The helispot will be near the intersection of Mulberry and Carpenter Road. Please avoid this area. A/G-13 will be the helicopter working frequency. This has been added to the online feed.
**2:23 pm** USFS Units have requested a helicopter for this fire. This means those of you who may be thinking about getting drone footage of this fire should not be flying.
**2:17 pm** Tones have been set requesting additional manpower from Otto Fire Department.
**2:08 pm ** Macon EOC advises a caller on Crystal Creek Road is reporting their house is in danger. Command has requested Station 5 out of Rabun County be sent to provide mutual aid on this call.
The Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 3 (PNW-3) held a Fire information meeting last night in the Otto Community Building. The meeting was standing room only as residents heard from the team managing the Rock Mountain Fire and representatives from other cooperating agencies. The video, closures that are in effect and some fire states are posted below.
Rock Mountain Fire Stats
16,698 acres
30% contained
Between 450 and 500 personnel are working the fire
The fire was discovered on Nov 9th along Tallulah River Road in the STraw Mountain area of Rabun County and the cause is currently under investigation. The fire has been continually spreading for up to 20 ti 24 hours and day and has travelled between a half to three quarters of a mile a day with some days up to a mile or more in a 24 hour period.
Rock Mountain Fire Objectives
•Prevent loss and/or damage to private lands on the flanks of the fire through a combination of direct attack, use of natural barriers in combination with burnout operations and point protection around threatened structures.
•Develop suppression actions on the northeast flank that consider wilderness/roadless values and threatened/sensitive species.
The team managing the fire described the history of the fire an their strategy of fighting the fire and their plans for the future. Lines are being constructed using existing features, some of them near homes.
Since Tuesday Morning November 22, the following roads have been closed for public and firefighter safety:
• Patterson Gap Road from Betty’s Creek Road to Poplar gap (USFS road) • Betty’s Creek Road from Patterson Gap to the North Carolina state line (Rabun County) • Mulberry from the North Carolina state line to Pagonia Drive/Beasley Gap (Macon County)
NANTAHALA NATIONAL FOREST CLOSURES
Major closures on the Nantahala include:
•Southern Nantahala Wilderness (North Carolina)
•Nantahala National Forest lands east of Eagle Fork community to Southern Nantahala Wilderness boundary
•Nantahala National Forest lands south of US 64 and Allison Creek Road (SR 1448), to the Southern Nantahala Wilderness boundary (including the •Standing Indian and Hurricane Creek areas)
•Nantahala National Forest lands west of the Nantahala Mountains ridge from Mooney Gap to Wallace Gap, and west to the Southern Nantahala •Wilderness boundary (including the Appalachian Trail, side trails, and shelter sites)
•Nantahala National Forest lands north of US64 and east of State Road 1330 to Nantahala Ranger District boundary
•Nantahala National Forest lands south and east of State Road 1307 from State Road 1330 to US64 and the Nantahala Ranger District Boundary
•Joyce Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness
•Wesser Creek Trail
•Chunky Gal Trail
•Whitewater Falls Trail and portions of Foothills Trail
•Benton MacKaye Trail east of Beech Gap
Appalachian Trail is closed from Dicks Creek Gap/U.S. 76 in Georgia (mile 69.9) to the Nantahala River/US19/US74 in North Carolina (mile 137.1).
Call the US Forest Service office for more information on road and trail closures: 828-257-4200
ARSON REPORTING
North Carolina is offering a reward of up to $10,000 to be issued to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who are responsible for setting wildfires in western North Carolina. Anyone having information concerning these wildfires should contact Macon County Crimestoppers at (828) 349-2600 or Jackson County Crimestoppers at (828) 631-1125.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is seeking information regarding arson fires on Indian Lands of North Carolina through the WeTip Program. Up to $10,000 is being offered through this anonymous program. WeTip can be contacted through their website: www.wetip.com or by calling their hotline at (800) 47-ARSON ((800) 472-7766).
BURNING RESTRICTIONS
A total fire ban is in effect for all lands in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests; however, commercially available heating equipment, portable lanterns, or stoves that use gas or pressurized liquid fuel are allowed. More information is at www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd524246.
A North Carolina Forest Service ban on all open burning in all 25 Western NC counties is still in effect. Under North Carolina law, the ban prohibits all open burning in the affected counties, regardless of whether a permit was issued. The issuance of any new permits also has been suspended until the ban is lifted.
HUNTER INFORMATION
Rifle hunting season begins today in Western NC. For those hunting in the National Forests, many areas have temporary Forest closures. Contact your local ranger district to find specific information about closures, as closures may not be clear if traveling off roads and trails. To ensure your safety and the safety of our firefighters, please observe all closures and fire restrictions. For updated hunting closure information visit http://www.ncwildlife.org/Hunting/Where-to-Hunt/Public-Places
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