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‘Please DO NOT BURN Today’ – Alert Issued Saturday as Fires Blaze, Still Smoky with Ash Flying in High Country

Nicole Wagoner took this photo and posted it on Watauga County Road Conditions Facebook page. “Taken from U.S. 321  heading towards Lenoir.”

By Jesse Wood

Nov. 10, 2012. Watauga County Communications, apart of Emergency Medical and Fire dispatch, recently issued an alert to not burn today on its Facebook page. 

“Please DO NOT BURN today. We are having fires pop up everywhere. While no designated burning ban is on, you must exercise care if you must burn. Have a fire watch and the proper tools to tend your fire,” the message read.
 
An earlier message mentioned that along with the Forestry Service, crews from Stewart Simmons Fire, Blowing Rock Fire, Boone Fire and Yadkin Valley Fire Departments were were “working a pretty good fire” between Paisley Ridge Road and Rock House Road in the southeast corner of Watauga County near Blowing Rock. 

At 1:45 p.m., Gae McNeill Kapral posted to Watauga County Road Conditions Facebook page, which has provided live updates of the fires, and wrote, ” I’m on Sampson, very smokey here. Looks like it is on other side of CoffeyTown.”

Another person posted that the occasional bit of ash has drifted near Samaritan’s Purse, and others have posted concerns with the amount of smoke prevalent in the Deerfield/Bamboo area.

At 1:40 p.m. Kenneth Reece of Watauga County Road Conditions wrote, “Firefighters continue to battle the fire in Sampson/Penley Road areas. Getting a report that appears it’s going to take a while to get it contained” 

Check out Watauga County Road Conditions for more photos and live text sent in by readers.