UPDATE (11/5) – Officials with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced Sunday that as of 7 p.m., the fire burning in the Edneyville community is 431 acres in size and 5% has been contained.

Officials said two homes and an outbuilding have been lost, while another home sustained minimal damage.

Henderson County Emergency Management and Henderson County Sherriff’s Office
have implemented evacuations with at least 34 structures currently threatened.

Firefighting personnel will continue establishing and strengthening containment lines,
conducting strategic firing operations, and providing structure protection.

Personnel with the N.C. Forest Service, U.S. Forest Service, Office of State Fire Marshal, Edneyville Fire Department, Henderson County Emergency Management and fire departments from Buncombe, Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties are responding to the incident.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

No injuries have been reported.

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) – Firefighters are continuing to battle a fire that erupted on East Poplar Drive in Hendersonville on Friday. Fire officials said the fire reached 175 acres in size with 5 percent of it contained Saturday evening.

Under a thick canopy of smoke, firefighters are battling a wildfire.

“We called in several additional resources. Every department from Henderson County is here; we have several from Buncombe, Transylvania County and Polk County assisting us,” Robert Griffin, Chief of Edneyville Fire Department said.

The fire is said to be fueled by drought conditions.

“(This morning) humidity was only 10% so that is really nothing, it’s extreme fire conditions as well and we were having 20-mile-an-hour winds and it jumped the fire lines,” said Griffin. “The fire was moving at a much faster pace downhill than what it normally does, with fire conditions, we were facing, the fire was going downhill normally as fast as what it does going uphill under normal conditions.”

As the fire makes its way down the mountain, it is becoming an increasingly ominous view for nearby residents like Sherri Cappabianca, who said she has been monitoring the nearby fire.

“I do have a front porch view. I wish I did not have a front porch view,” said Cappabianca. “It could easily come down and pop over the road. This is a brand new home. I was up late last night watching it because you could see the fire embers on the top of the mountain. I was afraid to go to bed.”

So, Cappabianca is making evacuation plans.

“Gather the stuff that’s important to you, make a list of everything so that’s as far as I have gotten so far from the photographing and the list,” added Cappabianca. “Some of the things in here are irreplaceable. This was painted by my mother. I can’t get it off the wall so if it’s gone it’s gone.”

For residents not in the fire’s direction, they still taking precautions.

“We went home and made sure the fire alarms were working,” nearby resident, Kevin Wilsey said. “Neighbors say if you need a place to stay for the night call us up but like I said we are not in that much danger I don’t think unless the winds switch south.”

Officials with the Edneyville Fire Department said there were 200 firefighters working to contain the fire on Saturday.

Henderson City officials recommended an immediate voluntary evacuation for residents in the East Poplar Drive area.