Due to Hurricane Helene, the environmental landscape has been radically changed, Dossett said. He said the storm caused major canopy destruction and breakage of large, mature trees, which provided abundant fuel for wildfires to break out as the trees dry.

It has been six months since Hurricane Helene unleashed biblical flooding and tree-snapping winds across the Southeast, and areas such as hard-hit Black Mountain, N.C., continue to struggle.

The weather over the next few days remains concerning,” the forestry commission said, amid ongoing evacuation orders.