UPDATED The morning after: Photos from the Black Mountain/Ridgecrest Wildfire

UPDATE: APRIL 6: An “escaped debris burn” caused what’s been dubbed the Weed Lane fire near Ridgecrest Conference Center in Buncombe County. The wildfire started March 31, destroying one home, damaging five more and spreading across 740 acres. By April 5, firefighters had declared it was 100 percent contained.

A March 30 debris burn was the source, says Robert Smith, fire incident commander for the forest service. The agency’s press release noted that “the landowner thought his fire was safely out, [but] it’s common for heat to remain in ashes several days or even weeks under the right conditions.”

Gusty winds and dry conditions spurred the blaze, which spread across the mountains around Black Mountain. State and federal officials, along with firefighters from across Western North Carolina, came in droves to battle the blaze.

By Friday, April 3, the U.S. Forest Service reported that the fire had “calmed down considerably,” but Ridgecrest trails remained closed for the Easter holiday weekend. “The fire is 100 percent contained now,” said Smith.

UPDATE, APRIL 3: The U.S. Forest Service says conditions have improved regarding the 752-acre Weed Lane fire that burned near Black Mountain and Ridgecrest Conference Center. Trails remain closed for the holiday weekend, and the wildfire threat remains, due to continued dry conditions, however. For the U.S. Forest Service update, click here.

EARLIER REPORT: Around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, a brush fire caused by unknown sources in the Ridgecrest area of Buncombe County erupted across the ridgeline. Spurred by gusty winds and dry conditions, the blaze soon spread across the mountains bordering Black Mountain, destroying at least one home and forcing residents to flee to safety while state and federal officials, along with firefighters from across Western North Carolina, came in droves to battle the wildfire.

As of noon Wednesday, April 1, approximately 500 acres have burned. The fire continues to move along the county line between Buncombe and McDowell, edging up on Pisgah National Forest. Emergency responders, including the Red Cross, have worked throughout the night to help affected residents and contain the blaze.

According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, officials report that the fire is 50 percent contained, with the main area of concern at higher elevations on the ridgeline. For local residents, such as those living in the Laurel Wood Trailer Park in Ridgecrest, the shock has not worn off, even as the flames subside.

Smoke rises over the Town of Black Mountain as residents begin their Wednesday morning commute.

Smoke from the blaze, now gently rising from the higher elevations, made driving conditions impossible for many Black Mountain & Ridgecrest residents on Tuesday evening.

The rising haze from the fire could almost be mistaken for the early morning fog that is common to the area.

Views from the Black Mountain Downtown Park provide an eerie contrast between the calm of a Wednesday morning in the small town and the fires still burning above it.

Views from the Black Mountain Downtown Park provide an eerie contrast between the calm of a Wednesday morning in the small town and the fires still burning above it.

Even without foliage, a dark outline along the mountain shows the track of the wildfire as it climbed towards the McDowell county line and Pisgah National Forest.

Smoke filters slowly into the valleys and hollers just off exit 66 in Ridgecrest. The smell of burning wood is still quite distinct throughout the area.

Scalded turf and forest only a few yards from Bright Hope Rd in Laurel Wood Trailer Park.

Firefighters responded quickly to the blaze and remained on scene in Laurel Wood until early morning on Wednesday.

At one point, residents of Laurel Wood say the fire “horse-shoed” around their homes at the top of the hill.

Fire damage along the side of one home in the Laurel Wood Trailer Park.

Flames gutted one residence in Laurel Wood. Neighbors say that the owner was not home at the time of the fire.

The view from a broken window of a home destroyed by the fire.

“I thought someone was burning trash at first, until my husband told me to get our angel and get the hell out of the house,” says Laurel Wood resident Virginia Maloyed, who managed to get her daughter and two dogs to safety while her husband and a neighbor stayed behind to fend off flames. “We didn’t sleep much last night,” says Maloyed, who is still hoping her cat will return after running off during the confusion.

Residents of the park survey the damage a day after the fire threatened their community.

A child’s bike lays half-melted on the slope below Laurel Wood Park. Despite the damages, many residents are relieved that the results were not worse.