Featured: 1951 Centennial Edition
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Officials suspect arson in Sunday fire at local business
A Sylva business owned by a Democratic candidate for sheriff was damaged by fire early Sunday morning, and authorities believe the blaze was intentionally set. Sgt. George Lamphiear of the Sylva Police Department spotted the fire at Custom Truck Covers, a business on East Main Street owned by Robin Gunnels, around 1:30 a.m. Lamphiear was… »
One confirmed dead in Tuckasegee apartment fire
-Herald photos by Nick Breedlove A Tuesday morning (Jan. 26) fire in a Tuckasegee apartment complex has left one man dead. The victim has been identified as Walter Eugene Fox, 55, of Tuckasegee, according to Capt. Steve Lillard of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The call came in at 3:27 a.m. from a neighbor who… »
WCU fire contained quickly
A fire that broke out in Western Carolina University’s Hoey Auditorium this morning was quickly extinguished by local firefighters. According to WCU spokesman Bill Studenc, the call came in to university police at 10:38 a.m. to report a fire alarm activation in Hoey. A second call followed soon after to confirm there was smoke and… »
Man dies and woman injured in Jackson Village fire
-Herald photo by Jan Extine An early morning fire at the Jackson Village apartments claimed the life of one man Sunday (Nov. 8). Forrest Lee Aikens, 76, died at the scene of the fire. According to Sylva Assistant Fire Chief Mike Bryson, two apartments were destroyed in the fire. The cause is still under investigation,… »
Fires claim multi-million dollar homes in Cashiers
Fires claimed two multi-million dollar homes in Cashiers last week. According to Cashiers-Glenville Fire Chief Randy Dillard, the first fire began around midnight July 1. “We got a call for a structure fire for a house in the Mountaintop development around 12:11 a.m,” he said. “When we arrived on the scene, the entire house, which… »
Fire engulfs local residence
Fire departments from Sylva, Cullowhee, Savannah, Balsam and Cashiers-Glenville responded to a fire around 2 p.m. Wednesday at the David Stiens residence on Briarcliff Drive off Old Settlement Road. Sylva Fire Chief Mike Beck said a lightning strike is suspected to have caused the blaze, which destroyed the three-story house. “They lost everything they had,”… »
Parkway to reopen tonight
A section of the Blue Ridge Parkway closed due to the ongoing blaze in Cherokee will reopen at 7 p.m. tonight. Officials shut down the parkway from the intersection with U.S. 441 on the south to the intersection with N.C. 19 (Soco Gap) on the north. The closure was expected to last two days. According to representatives… »
Cherokee fire causes Parkway closing, burn ban
A blaze affecting 1,200 acres of land in Cherokee has forced officials to shut down the Blue Ridge Parkway and caused the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians to issue a burning ban in the Qualla Boundary. Officials with the Southern Area Type 2 Incident Management Team, which is overseeing firefighting operations in Cherokee, released… »
Cherokee fire update
A blaze across more than 1,000 acres continues to burn in Cherokee. Firefighters are trying to contain what is being called the “Stony Ridge Fire,” which started in the Big Cove community. According to Ray Stamper, public safety communications center manager for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the fire started around 2 p.m. Monday… »
Firefighters working to contain Cherokee blaze
Firefighters with the National Park Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are trying to contain a wildfire in Cherokee. According to a release from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, firefighters are trying to contain what is being called the “Stony Ridge Fire,” which started in the Big Cove community. The fire was estimated… »
