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Party Rock fire grows to 5,700 acres

Henderson County News

Don't miss this week's Hendersonville Lightning (102)

You won't want to miss this week’s Hendersonville Lightning. This issue includes our special section, Season of Giving, which focuses on the numerous nonprofit agencies and volunteers who serve them in Henderson County. You will also read about a Laurel Park institution, Joseph Laughter Clothier, the Flat Rock Playhouse lineup for December shows as well as pages of local briefs. Here’s where you can pick up a Lightning • Hendersonville Lightning Office, 1111 Asheville Hwy• Pop's Diner, 5 Points, North Main Street• Triangle Stop, 701 North Main Street• The 500 block of North Main Street(First Citizens Bank / Mast Gen. Store)• Black Bear Coffee Co., Main Street• The 300 block of North Main Street(McFarland's Bakery / Mike's on Main). Pardee Hospital in the lobby. Flat Rock Playhouse, downtown(100 block of South Main Street) Southside Hendersonville(Spartanburg Highway)• Hairstyles by Charlene, Joel Wright Drive• McDonald's, Spartanburg Highway• Norm's Minit Mart, Spartanburg Highway• Hendersonville Co-op• Burger King/BP, Spartanburg HighwayIngles Supermarket Southside Hendersonville(Greenville Highway)Carolina Ace HardwareWhitley Drug Store Flat Rock/East Flat Rock• Flat Rock Post Office• Flat Rock Bakery• Zirconia Post Office• East Flat Rock Post Office• Orr's Family Restaurant, Spartanburg Hwy• Energy Mart Exxon, Upward Road & I-26• Triangle Stop, 754 Upward Road & I-26Village Café and Pub Hendersonville(Kanuga Road)• Hot Dog World, Kanuga Road• Mr. Pete's Market, Kanuga Road• Norm's Minit Mart, Kanuga Road Hendersonville(Fifth Avenue)Hendersonville Post officeFifth Aenue Shell Laurel Park• YMCA H'ville, Sixth Ave & Oak Str• Laurel Park Village, Rite-Aid.• Energy Mart Exxon, Brevard Road at Daniel DriveDixie Diner, Brevard Road Highway 64(Brevard Road)• Horse Shoe Post Office• Mr. Pete's Market, Etowah, Hwy 64-W• Blue Ridge Pizza, Etowah, Hwy 64-W• Etowah Shopping Center, Etowah Highway 191(Haywood Road)• Joey's New York Bagels, Hwy 191• One-Stop Store #8, Haywood Road (Hwy 191)• Dollar General, Hwy 191 & Mountain Road Mills River• Triangle Stop, 4197 Haywood Road, Mills River• Mills River Family Restaurant. Food LionIngles Eastside Hendersonville and Four Seasons Boulevard• Norm's Minit Mart, Dana Road• Fatz Cafe, Dana Road & Four Seasons Blvd• Grocery Outlet, off Four Seasons Boulevard• McDonald's, Four Seasons Boulevard• Energy Mart Exxon, Four Seasons BoulevardMustang Cafe Highway 64 East(Chimney Rock Highway)• Triangle Stop, 2545 Chimney Rock Road, Hwy 64-E• Mr. Pete's Market, East, Hwy 64-E • Griffin's Store, Edneyville, Hwy 64-E• Edneyville Post Office. Griffins Store, EdneyvilleShell station, 64 East and Sugarloaf RoadIngles, Howard Gap RoadMoose Cafe Highway 25 North(Asheville Highway)• The Ugly Mug Coffee Shop, Hwy 25-N• Triangle Stop, Hwy 25-N, Balfour• Mountain Home Post Office• Fletcher Post OfficeInglesNaples Post OfficeTravel Plaza, US 25 and I-26 Southern & Eastern Henderson County, Polk County• Dana Post Office• Rosco's Grocery, Green River• Saluda Post Office• Triangle Stop, 1487 Ozone Road, SaludaAll Henderson County Ingles StoresAll Henderson County Post Offices   Read Story »

Henderson County News

HOLT: ALL-NEW HHS 'NOT WHAT WE VOTED FOR'

The Henderson County Board of Commissioners and School Board convened a rare face-to-face meeting this morning to try to resolve differences over the design of Hendersonville High School and school construction priorities. Stay with the Lightning for live coverage.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Illegal burning results in six misdemeanor charges

A 56-year-old East Flat Rock woman faces six misdemeanor charges after she violated Henderson County's ban on burning, the sheriff's office said. Sheriff's deputies and Blue Ridge Fire and Rescue personnel responded to a call about illegal burning at 115 Victoria Drive in East Flat Rock shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday. After firefighters extinguished a small fire in the yard, deputies determined that the fire had been intentionally set by the resident, Evangelina Rodriguez. Before deputies could question Rodriguez about the fire, she fled back into the home. Deputies obtained warrants for Rodriguez for intentionally lighting a fire, a violation of the burning ban now in effect in the county. When deputies returned to arrest Rodriguez she assaulted two deputies as she was being taken into custody, the sheriff's office said. Neither the deputies nor Rodriguez were injured during the incident. Rodriguez was charged with the following:  ·        Misdemeanor open burning when prohibited·        2 counts of misdemeanor assault on a government official·        2 counts of resisting a public officer ·        Failure to appear on an unrelated misdemeanor assault charge Rodriguez was jailed on a $4,700 bond. Authorities announced earlier Tuesday that law officers would lodge criminal charges against individuals caught violating the burning ban that was issued by the fire marshal on Nov. 7. Under authority of the Henderson County Code, Section 78-16.1, all outdoor burning is prohibited in areas within 100 feet of a structure. The penalties for violating the burning ban include a $500 fine and court costs. The Henderson County burning ban coincides with the statewide burning ban and shall remain in effect until cancelled. “We must make every effort to do what we are able to do under the law to minimize the possibility of additional wildfires being ignited. We ask our citizens to assist us in implementing this burning ban,” said County Manager Steve Wyatt.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

County to begin evacuation along N.C. 9

Henderson County emergency management officials and law enforcement will begin an evacuation of residences along N.C. 9 between the  Highway 74-A and Shumont Road at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 16, the sheriff's office said. The evacuation notice will include all roads that connect to N.C. 9. Evacuations should be completed by 5 p.m. the same day. Those who cannot evacuate because of special needs or disability were advised to call 911. Henderson County sheriff’s deputies are beginning to provide evacuation information to the affected areas, including all homes on N.C. 9, Hemlock Falls Trail, Minihaha Lane, Old Fort Loop, Rocky River Lane and Rustic Ridge Road. Residents can shelter at Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Avenue West, Hendersonville. The Red Cross is operating the shelter; the shelter phone number is 828-693-5605. For more information on this evacuation, contact the Party Rock Fire Information Center at 828-513-2500 or 336-455-9641or partyrockfireinfo@gmail.com. Meanwhile, authorities said continued warm dry weather and an approaching front packing strong gusty winds from the southwest could make it harder for fire crews to contain the pesky Party Rock Fire. The windy conditions on Thursday have the potential to push the fire to the north and northeast toward Weed Patch Mountain and the Gray Rock community. Windy conditions could also move flames towards the evacuated communities of Rumbling Bald Resort, the Henderson County sheriff's office said in a news release Tuesday. In addition to the wind gusts, temperatures are expected to warm into the low 70s and relative humidity levels will again drop below 30 percent.  The fire is now 3,744 acres in size and remains at 15 percent containment. The weather had not been conducive for large fire growth the past couple days but the front is expected to change things for the worse. Fire managers are planning for the fire growth potential by establishing contingency lines should primary containment lines not hold. In addition, they are working with the structure protection group to ensure fire department engines are strategically placed within communities in the fire’s projected path to protect homes. A stretch of Highway 74-A leading into Chimney Rock Village from the north and south remains closed. Party Rock Fire information can be found at inciweb.nwcg.gov.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Bazzle fine with election delivered like 'a 2x4 to the head'

The Henderson County School Board honored two colleagues Monday night who were serving in their last board meeting — longtime Chair Ervin Bazzle and first-term member Josh Houston.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Local man gets 20-year sentence in sexual assault case

A Hendersonville man was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of second-degree forcible sex offense, District Attorney Greg Newman announced. Edward Capps, of 48 Sunset Crest Lane, received the sentence during a two-week session of Henderson County Superior Court that ended last week. Other convictions and sentences handed down by Superior Court Judge Mark E. Powell: Marvin Wright, of 351 Dove Haven Lane, Hendersonville, pleaded guilty to Possession of Stolen Goods, three counts of Felony Larceny, Attempted Larceny, and Habitual Felon. Wright was sentenced to 93 months in prison. Jesus Garza, of 14 Ila Court, Greenville, S.C., pleaded guilty to Attempted Trafficking Methamphetamine. Garza was sentenced to 27 months in prison.     Read Story »

Henderson County News

STATE ISSUES AIR QUALITY WARNING

The Henderson County Department of Health urged residents to take precautions related to the deteriorating air quality in Henderson County associated with a number of intensifying wildfires in the western North Carolina region.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

WHKP accepting donated water for wildfire crews, evacuees

WHKP radio is collecting donations of bottled water, Gatorade and packaged snacks for evacuees and for the firefighters fighting the 2,000-acre Party Rock wildfire in the Lake Lure area. Someone will be at the station on Seventh Avenue across from Lowes from 6 a.m. to noon Sunday to accept the donated supplies. A shelter has been set up at the Bat Cave Baptist Church for evacuees. Anyone who would like to donate any of these items for the firefighters and those who are evacuated can drop them off by WHKP’sBroadcast House Sunday morning from 6 a.m. to noon. News and Program Director Larry Freeman said the radio station would collectthe donations and at noon will take them to Bat Cave Fire and Rescue. Freeman said he’d talked with Bat Cave fire officials andthey are shuttling supplies to the firemen up on the mountain fighting the blaze.     Read Story »

Edneyville News

Conditions making Party Rock fire hard to extinguish

The Party Rock Fire, now 3,457 acres in size and only 15 percent contained, is more resistant to firefighting efforts because of the warm, extremely dry conditions and leaf fall, authorities said Monday. Recent calm weather has helped reduce the fire’s spread somewhat, though smoke continued to impact the area. The fire, which started in the Lake Lure area, continues to advance west of Round Top Mountain, adjacent to and west of Chimney Rock Village and to areas on the north side of the fire, the sheriff's office said in an update. The unusual weather conditions are resulting in the fire burning throughout the day and night. This differs from seasonal fires that burn mostly during warmer afternoon periods, and just smolder at night. This makes the fire more resistant to control. Firefighters are successfully defending homes and structures as the fire creeps downhill toward properties at risk. Engines are staged at each home and hose lays are deployed and used to put out the fire as it nears property. This suppression strategy is used to completely combust all available fuel so reburn potential is minimized.  These structure protection tactics will continue as long as necessary.  No structures have been lost to date. About 1,000 people continue to be affected by evacuations. Fire officials meet regularly with local emergency management services to review when people may be allowed back in and to assess if additional evacuation notices may be needed. There were no changes in the status of evacuations over the past 24 hours. A new evacuation shelter opened today at Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 Sixth Avenue West, in Hendersonville; the shelter contact number is 828-693-4890. The Bat Cave shelter closed due to poor air quality. The Greenhill Baptist Church shelter has also closed. For public and firefighter safety, travelers are encouraged to adjust speed for reduced visibility and firefighting equipment on the roads. Area residents with respiratory ailments or sensitivities should keep their doors and windows closed and operate their HVAC system to avoid breathing smoke-filled air. Air quality alerts can be obtained from the NWS at http://www.weather.gov/gsp/. A stretch of Highway 74-A leading into Chimney Rock Village from the north and south remains closed. Road information can be accessed on the NCDOT Travel Information Management System website at  https://tims.ncdot.gov/tims/regionsummary.aspx. Party Rock Fire information can be found on INCIWEB (http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/) or on the Town of Lake Lure website (http://www.townoflakelure.com/). The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Saturday that it has authorized federal funds to reimburse costs to North Carolina to fight the Party Rock fire counties. The authorization makes FEMA grant funding available to reimburse 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire. Eligible costs can include labor, equipment and supplies used for fighting the fire and costs for emergency work such as evacuations and sheltering, police barricading and traffic control.     Read Story »

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