Crowders Mountain Fire Fully Contained, Trails Partially Reopen
Officials unsure of cause but say drought, Helene debris played a role
A wildfire sparked early Sunday morning swept across Crowders Mountain State Park, consuming 661 acres of the Gaston County destination popular with Charlotte-area hikers. Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Gaston County spokesperson Adam Gaub confirmed that the wildfire has been 100% contained.
No nearby homes or businesses were endangered by the fire, and two park trails reopened on Tuesday.
According to Kris Anne Bonifacio, spokesperson with the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, park staff discovered the fire at around 7:20 a.m. on Sunday.
By that time, about 70 acres had already burned, Gaub said. The park was shut down Sunday as firefighters converged on the area.
Although the North Carolina Forest Service and Gaston City Fire Department were the two main agencies battling the conflagration, several other agencies were called in to assist, Gaub said. Woody Thomas, Crowders Mountain Fire and Rescue fire chief, said his department was called to the scene Sunday morning and contributed four members to the firefighting effort.
“Our people were deployed for structure protection,” Thomas says. “There are areas that have [buildings] on the back side of the mountain that we were … to protect in the event of fire.” Rain overnight on Sunday and Monday morning helped firefighters contain the blaze.
Local law enforcement blocked some roads around the park, primarily to keep people from getting closer to the fire, Gaub said, which many try to do so they can get footage for social media.
“[It’s] like fire tourism, where people get up close, taking videos and pictures,” Gaub says. “[Law enforcement] was keeping folks away so that firefighters could do their job.”
The park’s Linwood Road access and Boulders access were reopened Tuesday, the Crowders Mountain State Park Visitor Center told Queen City Nerve. Bonifacio did caution that portions of the park are still off limits to the public.
That includes all campsites and all trails at the Sparrow Springs access. Ridgeline Trail is only open from Boulders to Pinnacle trail, he added.
Gaub denied a rumor that had spread on Facebook stating that the fire was caused by a controlled burn that got out of control. He confirmed that the Forest Service, NC State Parks and Gastonia Fire did what’s called a back burn to help set a perimeter around the fire, but that was implemented after the wildfire had started.
On Monday morning, The NC Forest Service issued a statement on social media that addressed the rumor.
“Due to difficult, steep terrain and in the interest of firefighter and public safety, firefighting personnel from the N.C. Forest Service and N.C. State Parks did conduct a strategic firing operation, also known as a burnout operation,” the statement read.
“This is a carefully planned tactic where firefighters intentionally and precisely burn vegetative fuels such as grasses, plants, shrubs, leaves, needles, duff and dead woody material, to eliminate what a wildfire can burn,” it continued.
NC Forest Service officials have determined the area where Sunday’s fire originated, though not the exact location nor the cause, Bonifacio said.
Gaub points out that the region has been under drought conditions. Bonifacio added that November is normally the start of wildfire season due to fallen leaves and dried vegetation. Conditions are exacerbated by debris left over from the onslaught of Hurricane Helene’s remnants hitting the area in late September.
The park remained closed through October as some rangers worked on clearing damage along Ridgeline Trail and others went west to help in the more devastated areas of western North Carolina.
Read more: 10 Best Trails for Outdoor Activities in the Charlotte Area on the Carolina Thread Trail
