The wildfires that have plagued western North Carolina have now hit the High Country, and there doesn't appear to be an immediate let-up in the weather conditions driving the state's fires.
Investigators believe the fire started in a building then quickly spread, aided by dry conditions and high winds. More than 120 acres of forest near West Jefferson have burned. Ashe County emergency officials say at least 14 homes are close to the wildfire, and residents have voluntarily evacuated.
The National Weather Service says the lack of rain, low humidity and wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour will lead to increased fire danger across Northwest North Carolina early this week.
Mountain wildfires have torched close to 200 square miles of the state's forestland and led to the evacuation of about a thousand people this month. The fires have reduced air quality across much of the state, including the Triad.