Melrose fire in Polk County between 400-500 acres, 0% contained; evacuations ordered

The Melrose Fire in Polk County is estimated to be between 400-500 acres with 0% containment as of Sunday morning, according to the North Carolina Forest Service.

The Melrose Fire burning in the Saluda and Tryon communities.

On Sunday morning, Polk County Emergency Management stated in a Facebook post that there will continue to be a lot of fire activity in the areas of Hwy 176 and Howard Gap.

They've asked the public to avoid those areas so it's safe for emergency personnel to work as structural protection is ongoing in several areas.

The fire originally started around 1:30pm on Saturday, when both Tryon and Saluda Fire Departments responded to a brush fire caused by a downed power line at 3910 US Hwy 176.

The fire spread up the mountain rapidly, and threatened multiple structures.

Crews from Polk, Henderson, Rutherford, Buncombe and Spartanburg counties, along with the NC Forest Service have all assisted with containment efforts.

Residents were told to expect a heavy fire department presence in the Bear Creek, Hanging Rock, Rhododendron Dr, Oceanview Dr and Meadow Lark Dr areas.

According to the Tryon Police Department, evacuation orders are in effect for residents from 2500-3910 US US Hwy 176 and Meadow Lark Dr.

News13 spoke with a Tryon resident on Saturday as the fire continued to spread.

Becky Oliver said that she rushed to the area as soon as possible to help her longtime friends' mother evacuate.

“You could smell the smoke all the way in Columbus, in the middle of Columbus you could smell the smoke already. You could see part of the smoke. It’s devastating, absolutely devastating,” she expressed.

Oliver said that things were already bad enough from Helene.

"And now you got this, with the forest, is going to be really bad,” she said.

Saluda Fire & Rescue's Facebook post said that there are no additional evacuation orders at this time, but that homeowners should call 911 immediately if they see a fire approaching their residence.

Emergency personnel will remain active throughout the affected areas, and if more evacuation orders are issued, a Nixle alert will be sent out.

The North Carolina Forest Service is planning to conduct back burn operations and put in additional fire lines on Sunday.

Polk County Emergency Management said that there will also be air operations going on to support the fire, and that they will try to keep the community updated every 3 to 4 hours with the progress being made.

There is a shelter open at the Polk County Senior Center located at 75 Carmel Ln. Columbus, NC 28722.

STORY AND PICTURE  COURTESY OF WLOS-TV 13