Brush fires across the Carolinas prompt evacuations as region faces continued dry conditions Sunday

Authorities in parts of North Carolina and South Carolina issued evacuation orders Saturday as firefighters hurried to contain wildfires driven by dry, windy conditions across the region.

Authorities in parts of North Carolina and South Carolina issued evacuation orders Saturday as firefighters hurried to contain wildfires driven by dry, windy conditions across the region. In western North Carolina near the towns of Tryon and Saluda, a brush fire caused by a power line that fell along US Highway 176 Saturday afternoon spread quickly up a nearby mountain and threatened several structures, Saluda Fire and Rescue said in a social media post late Saturday. As of 11:30 p.m. Saturday, the fire had grown to 400 acres, at 0% containment, Saluda officials said. Polk County officials said multiple fire departments have been deployed to respond to the active fire. Some residents near the highway were ordered to evacuate Saturday afternoon by Tryon authorities. “Residents can expect a heavy fire department presence in the Bear Creek, Hanging Rock, Rhododendron Dr., Oceanview Dr., and Meadow Lark Dr. areas as crews work to protect homes and reduce fire fuels,” Saluda Fire and Rescue said. Tryon and Saluda are just north of the North Carolina-South Carolina border, around 25 miles southeast of Asheville, North Carolina.