Crews in Buncombe County responded to two separate fires on November 13, 2025. The Enka Candler Fire Department and the North Carolina Forest Service managed a fire in the Milk Sick Cove Area, which reached approximately 25 acres and was initially only 10% contained. Two structures were under protection as firefighters worked through rough terrain in a heavily wooded area. Officials anticipated crews would remain at the scene throughout the evening.
Meanwhile, the Fairview Fire Department and the North Carolina Forest Service handled another fire in the Lower Brush Creek, Burney Mountain Road Area. This fire covered about six acres with a containment rate of 20%. Four structures were being protected amid heavy blowdown conditions. Firefighters also expected to be onsite for much of the evening.
Community members were advised to avoid these areas to allow emergency personnel to work without obstruction and were asked to postpone any planned burning due to increased fire danger from high winds.
An update at 5:40 p.m. indicated progress on both fires. The Enka fire was reported as fully contained at 22 acres, though crews planned to stay for several more hours and return in the morning. The Fairview fire had grown to 15 acres but was reported as 70% contained, with efforts ongoing toward full containment.
In other news related to Buncombe County, data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction shows that among senior students taking the science portion of the ACT during the 2022-23 school year, only about 28.5% met college readiness standards (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). For juniors taking this section of the exam, roughly 30.1% demonstrated college readiness (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). Reading scores showed higher levels of readiness: approximately 41.1% of seniors (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/) and 43.2% of juniors (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/) achieved college-ready benchmarks on that portion of the ACT.
Math results indicated lower rates; about a quarter—25.6%—of seniors (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/) met college readiness standards compared with nearly one-third—32.7%—of juniors (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/).
