North Carolinians!!!

[Southern28Chick]

I just got back from my parents house, they live in Franklinton which is about 5 miles from my house...there was a HUGE wild fire in the woods behind their house. I was so scared when I got to their house that my knees were knocking.

The news crews where in the subdivision taking interviews, I'm watching the news now and they're calling it a "brush fire". Bull!!! It's a full on forest fire. My dad got some pictures, I'll have him email them to me.

The sheriff came door to door and told us to get out before it gets bad. We started collecting things and making plans for pets (was going to take the dogs home with me and 1 of the cats). Luckily we waited and watched it and the fire moved on.

It's not known yet what started the fire, I'm sure it was something as simple as someone tossed a cig out their window mixed with low humidity, drought and super strong winds.

I read online that their are/were 84 individual fires and over 1600 acres have burned.

So far 4 homes in Franklinton have burned down.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2418237/

 

[BantyChickMom]

I-85 S was closed this eveing too due to a fire,
somewhere around exit 206 and 208

Glad your folks and pets are all OK

 

[Southern28Chick]

The second story in this video is Franklinton:

http://wral.com/news/local/video/2419076/

 

[texaschickmama]

Wow, that is scary. You feel so helpless when you see those flames. We had an outbreak of fires here a week ago and the wind was like 45-60 mph. It spreads so fast. You are probably right about the cigarette getting tossed. People just don't think that that could start a fire, but it does. When I see people tossing cigs out, I feel like knocking on their car window and tossing it back in and telling them that I don't live in their ashtray. Hope the fire subsides and everyone is okay.

 

[Southern28Chick]

The fire is gone now. Lucky the wind was blowing north and my parent's house was south of the fire. It was basically in their backyard though. We were wondering if the winds shifted if we could stand up to the the fire with the water hose, thankfully we didn't have to test that idea.

We were told to evacuate at one point because the wind was swirling. It stoped blowing north and started blowing in circles.

I've never seen a fire like that before and I hope I never do again.