At least 11 homes destroyed in North Carolina wildfires, officials say
As firefighters continued to battle three stubborn North Carolina wildfires in the same county, a breezy and dry forecast for the danger zones is threatening to spread the flames, officials said.
The three fires, including two that have overlapped, are in steep, rugged terrain in Polk County that is covered with downed trees and dry vegetation left over from Hurricane Helene that swept through the area in September, authorities said.
At least 11 homes had been destroyed by the blazes -- now being referred to collectively as the Black Cove Complex -- according to a statement from Polk County on Tuesday night. No injuries have been reported from any of the blazes.
The fires have burned more than 6,000 acres of forest land about 40 miles southeast of Asheville, officials said.

Two of the blazes, the Black Cove Fire and the Deep Woods Fires, both remain 0% contained, a Polk County official confirmed on Tuesday.
The Black Cove Fire, which started on March 19 about 2 miles northeast of the community of Saluda, had grown by more than 3,000 acres by Tuesday, officials said.
The fire has resulted in the destruction of seven homes, significant damage to one home, and the loss of seven outbuildings, according to a representative of Polk County.

Officials also reported on Tuesday that the Deep Woods Fire, which also began on March 19 about 5 miles northwest of Columbus, had burned nearly 3,000 acres. "The fire is burning in timber on steep terrain and is currently 0% contained," fire officials said of the Deep Woods Fire.
"Around 110 homes have been evacuated with one home being destroyed and three outbuildings being lost," according to a statement from Polk County on Tuesday night.
Mandatory evacuation orders issued for both fires were in effect as of early Tuesday.

The third fire in Polk County is the Fish Hook Fire, which started on March 20, near Lake Adger, about 5 miles northwest of Mill Springs, was 72% contained on Tuesday evening after burning about 200 acres, officials said.
This fire led to the destruction of three homes and one outbuilding, according to a Polk County statement on Tuesday night.

A small amount of rain was recorded in Polk County on Monday, but it had little effect on the fires, officials said.
Meteorologist Ashley Rehnberg of the National Weather Service office in Greer, South Carolina, told ABC News that rainfall totals in Polk County from Monday's cold front ranged from .03 inches to .08 inches.
Fire danger for Polk County is expected to go up on Wednesday afternoon, with forecasts of wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph. Winds are expected to die down on Thursday.
Wildfires extended into neighboring South Carolina, where Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on Saturday.
A wildfire in the Table Rock State Park on the South Carolina-North Carolina border started on Friday night and quickly spread to more than 1,000 acres by Monday, according to the Pickens County Sheriff's Office.
"Evacuations remain in effect at this time. No further evacuations are expected. Residents are advised to remain aware of the situation by monitoring local news and social media and be prepared tp evacuate if it should become necessary," according to a statement from the sheriff's office.
North Carolina residents remain under a statewide ban on outdoor burning.
ABC News' Kenton Gewecke contributed to this report.