Wildfire burning near Linville Gorge in North Carolina in Pisgah National Forest
FROM WXII 12 NEWS. THIS IS BREAKING NEWS. AN ICONIC DENIM BRAND IS BEING SOLD. WHO IS BUYING LEE FROM KONTOOR BRANDS FOR AN EYE POPPING PRICE? ALSO, BREAKING CRIMINAL CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST A FORMER VIRGINIA ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ACCUSED OF IGNORING WARNINGS THAT A YOUNG STUDENT HAD A GUN AND LATER SHOT A TEACHER. WHILE THE TRIAL CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT. HE SPENT 25 YEARS FEEDING THE COMMUNITY AND NOW THEY ARE FEEDING US, HELPING THROUGH HEARTBREAK. HOW THE LEXINGTON COMMUNITY IS COMING TOGETHER THIS WEEKEND TO SUPPORT A FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS AFTER A DEVASTATING FIRE, AND THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION RELEASES ITS HURRICANE FORECAST. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THE TROPICAL SEASON BEGINS IN ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF. FIRST AT NOON. WE BEGIN WITH THAT BREAKING NEWS KONTOOR BRANDS ANNOUNCING IT HAS REACHED A DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT TO SELL ITS LEE BUSINESS. THE GREENSBORO BASED COMPANY SAYS THE DEAL COULD REACH $1 BILLION. CONTOUR CEO SAYS THE SALE IS MEANT TO SHARPEN ITS FOCUS ON ITS REMAINING CORE BRANDS LIKE WRANGLER AND HELLY HANSEN. THE DEAL IS EXPECTED TO CLOSE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR, PENDING REGULATORY APPROVAL. ALSO BREAKING AT NOON, THE CASE AGAINST THE 19 YEAR OLD ACCUSED OF KILLING A TEEN AND HIS DOG IS GETTING REFERRED TO THE CAPITAL DEFENDER’S OFFICE. PROCEEDINGS FOR JOHN FOWLER JUNIOR WERE CONTINUE THIS MORNING BECAUSE HIS ATTORNEY IS OUT OF TOWN. FOWLER IS CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND ANIMAL CRUELTY. HE IS ACCUSED OF KILLING JADEN LIVINGSTON EARLIER THIS MONTH AT HIS HOME IN WALKERTOWN. IF CONVICTED, HE COULD FACE THE DEATH PENALTY. BREAKING OUT OF VIRGINIA, CRIMINAL CHARGES WERE DISMISSED AGAINST A FORMER VIRGINIA ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, ACCUSED OF IGNORING WARNINGS THAT A YOUNG STUDENT HAD A GUN. THE JUDGE SAID THE COURT’S OPINION WAS THAT, QUOTE, THIS WAS NOT A CRIME. UPON HEARING THE JUDGE’S STATEMENT, EBONI PARKER LOWERED HER HEAD AND SOBBED. THE CHARGES AGAINST PARKER STEMMED FROM A JANUARY 2023 SCHOOL IN NEWPORT NEWS. A SIX YEAR OLD SHOT AND INJURED HIS TEACHER, ABBY ZWERNER. PARKER HAD PLED NOT GUILTY TO EIGHT COUNTS OF FELONY CHILD ABUSE AND DISREGARD FOR THE LIFE. TELL. MORE BREAKING SPORTS NEWS. TWO TIME NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPION KYLE BUSCH WILL MISS THE COCA-COLA 600 IN CHARLOTTE THIS WEEKEND. HIS FAMILY SAYS HE’S IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A SEVERE ILLNESS, BUT DID NOT SHARE ANY SPECIFICS. RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING SAYS AUSTIN HILL WILL DRIVE THE NUMBER EIGHT CAR SUNDAY. BUSCH WAS ALSO FORCED TO PULL OUT OF THE TRUCK SERIES RACE TOMORROW NIGHT. IT’S NOT CLEAR HOW MUCH TIME HE COULD MISS. TAKING A LOOK AT THE FORECAST. A LOT OF SUNSHINE OUT THERE ONCE AGAIN TODAY AS WE TAKE A LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE FROM WINSTON-SALEM, WE HAVE METEOROLOGIST MICHELLE KENNEDY JOINING US NOW. MICHELLE, WHAT IS THE REST OF THE DAY LOOKING LIKE? I KNOW THIS WEEKEND IS GOING TO BE KIND OF HIT OR MISS IN TERMS OF THE RAIN. YEAH, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A REALLY BEAUTIFUL HOT AFTERNOON. LIKE IT’S STEAMY. WE’VE GOT IT FOR YOU. BUT WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT STORM CHANCES. AND YEAH, THE RISK OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM HURRICANES AND TROPICAL SYSTEMS. WE’RE ONLY ABOUT 11 DAYS AWAY FROM THE HURRICANE SEASON IN THE ATLANTIC BEGINNING. ABOUT AS WE GET CLOSER TO IT. TEMPERATURES ARE WARMING, OF COURSE, ALONG OUR COAST, AS WE WOULD EXPECT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. BUT NOW THE 2026 HURRICANE SEASON FORECAST IS OUT FROM NOAA, AND WE ARE ANTICIPATING, BASED ON THEIR FORECAST AND OTHERS, A BELOW NORMAL SEASON. AND OF COURSE, WE CAN ONLY SEE 1 OR 2 STORMS AND HAVE IT BE IMPACTFUL AS WELL. SO THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A QUIET SEASON NECESSARILY. WHEN IT COMES TO LANDFALLS, WE CAN STILL GET A STORM CLOSE TO THE COAST OR LOTS OF RAIN FROM TROPICAL SYSTEMS THAT MOVE IN FROM THE GULF. TAKE A LOOK AT THE NAMES HURRICANES FOR US THIS YEAR. ARTHUR, BERTHA, CRISTOBAL ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LIST THROUGH MARCO, NANA, OMAR AND THROUGH WILFRED. SO WE’RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE HURRICANE STORM NAMES AND HOW FAR DOWN THE LIST WE MAY END UP, BUT IT DOES LOOK LIKE A LESS ACTIVE SEASON, AT LEAST TO BEGIN WITH. SO WE’RE GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT COMING UP. TEMPERATURES AT 83 HERE AROUND TOWN GREENSBORO 85 IN BURLINGTON NEAR 86 IN WINSTON-SALEM. HERE COME THE SHOWERS. THE ISOLATED STORM CHANCES SHOULD BEGIN DEVELOPING NOW WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS FOR FOLKS TO THE WEST. STILL GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO GET EVERYTHING GOING ACROSS THE PIEDMONT TRIAD, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THIS AFTERNOON BETWEEN 3 AND 4, STARTING TO SEE SOME SIGNS OF A STORM OR TWO APPROACHING AND BETTER EVENING STORM CHANCES. 89 RIGHT NOW FOR HEAT INDEX IN WINSTON-SALEM, 87 IN GREENSBORO. WE’RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THOSE SHOWERS AND STORMS AS WE HEAD OVERNIGHT. AND THE RISK OF ISOLATED SEVERE THREATS. THIS BUILDS FOR FOLKS ALONG THE NORTH CAROLINA VIRGINIA BORDER. AND THIS IS THE NORTHERN PIEDMONT FROM WINSTON-SALEM. GREENSBORO NORTH WILL BE WATCHING FOR 1 OR 2 STORMS THAT COULD CREATE SOME DAMAGING WIND THREATS FOR US, ESPECIALLY LATE THIS EVENING. SO 87 DEGREES IMPACTS DON’T START UNTIL MUCH LATER FOR US IN THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT TRIAD. BETTER RAIN CHANCES FOR YOU. AN
Wildfire burning near Linville Gorge in North Carolina in Pisgah National Forest
Updated: 2:14 PM EDT May 21, 2026
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A wildfire is burning near Linville Gorge in the Pisgah National Forest.The USDA Forest Service firefighters, along with multiple fire departments and emergency management organizations, are responding to the fire, which is burning on both sides of NC Highway 105, just south of Forest Service Road 106, inside and near the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, on the border of Burke and McDowell Counties. The fire is currently 12 acres and 60% contained as of Wednesday. The USDA said on Thursday the fire is still active but has not spread or increased in size. The area received some light rain overnight, which helped to decrease the intensity of the fire. They said it’s burning in the interior area and holding flames in trees down from Hurricane Helene. They said they expect containment to increase as firefighters maintain firelines using water, and as they monitor incoming rainfall.Downed trees and dry conditions are contributing to increased wildfire intensity and risk. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking hereTravel along Old NC Highway 105 may be limited over the next couple of days.If you need to drive in the area, drive slowly with headlights on and watch for firefighters and equipment working along roadways.Follow the WXII 12 News Facebook page here. Smoke may be visible from nearby communities. For information about air quality, visit AirNow.gov or download the mobile app.Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.
A wildfire is burning near Linville Gorge in the Pisgah National Forest.
The USDA Forest Service firefighters, along with multiple fire departments and emergency management organizations, are responding to the fire, which is burning on both sides of NC Highway 105, just south of Forest Service Road 106, inside and near the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, on the border of Burke and McDowell Counties.
The fire is currently 12 acres and 60% contained as of Wednesday. The USDA said on Thursday the fire is still active but has not spread or increased in size. The area received some light rain overnight, which helped to decrease the intensity of the fire. They said it’s burning in the interior area and holding flames in trees down from Hurricane Helene. They said they expect containment to increase as firefighters maintain firelines using water, and as they monitor incoming rainfall.
Downed trees and dry conditions are contributing to increased wildfire intensity and risk. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here
Travel along Old NC Highway 105 may be limited over the next couple of days.
If you need to drive in the area, drive slowly with headlights on and watch for firefighters and equipment working along roadways.
Follow the WXII 12 News Facebook page here.
Smoke may be visible from nearby communities. For information about air quality, visit AirNow.gov or download the mobile app.
Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.
