Visitors return to park after devastating wildfire

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Areas of South Mountains State Park in North Carolina reopened after a wildfire damaged thousands of acres.

The park attracts a quarter-million visitors each year but was forced to close last November.

Park rangers at the park had to cut down about 1,000 trees since the 6,400-acre wildfire in November and they aren't taking any chances, keeping some trails like Chestnut Knob closed to the public.

"The tree root system could have been burned up, and we can't see those things, so potentially those trees we have not identified as dead could fall," park ranger Ian Magill said.

Large areas of the park were not damaged, including the park's biggest attraction, the High Shoals Waterfall.

"It's my favorite place,” visitor Lee Grutman said. “It's the closest, cool place near Charlotte. I'm glad it is back open. It was closed far too long."

Fishermen visited the Jacobs Fork River on Monday.

"It's nice to have it back,” Justin Blevins said. “It was sad. Broke my heart to see all this on fire, and there's not a lot of places like this here anymore."

Fire investigators believe the fire started from a lit cigarette tossed into the dry leaves.

About 6 miles of the park’s nearly 40 miles of hiking trails remains off limits.

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