ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Crews from Oklahoma are joining local firefighters to battle blazes that have scorched about 300 acres in five western North Carolina counties and on the Cherokee Indian Reservation.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reported that state and federal forest service crews were hoping for rain to arrive Thursday to tamp down the outbreak boosted by high temperatures and dry weather in the past week.
One of the region's four major blazes crawled into Asheville's east side. Firefighters also were fighting hundreds of small flare-ups.
State forester Kerry Lathrop says a home and two emergency response vehicles were destroyed by a brush fire in Jackson County reignited by flying embers. He said at least one firefighter was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times
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