Evacuations have even begun to take place around Lake Lure, which is about an hour and a half west of Charlotte.
Emergency personnel are now going door-to-door to evacuate residents in Rutherford County.
Dozens of parks, including the South Mountains State Park are now closed due to the fires.
North Carolina firefighters are now expecting wind gusts of over 20mph today to push the fires even further.
Burn bans enacted until further notice in these counties:
- Alexander
- Avery
- Buncombe
- Burke
- Caldwell
- Catawba
- Cherokee
- Clay
- Cleveland
- Gaston
- Graham
- Haywood
- Henderson
- Jackson
- Lincoln
- Macon
- Madison
- McDowell
- Mitchell
- Polk
- Rutherford
- Swain
- Transylvania
- Watauga
- Yancey
Comment: There are reports of extensive fires in Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia as well as North Carolina. According to NASA, more than 30 have ignited since a wildfire began 6 days ago in Maple Springs, North Carolina. The agency's satellite image shows just how far the wildfires have spread across the southeast: