N.C. Gov. McCrory offers bounty for fire information; Tellico Fire 81% contained

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said he has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of anyone responsible for causing wildfires in the state.

McCrory on Thursday said at least $15 million has been spent trying to control the fires, which nearly 2,000 firefighters are attempting to douse. He said some progress had been made in containing the fires since Wednesday. There are 16 active wildfires in North Carolina.

"The back burning has been extremely successful, and the use of helicopters has been extremely successful," McCrory said. "But this is really a grassroots effort of men and women fighting the fire hand-in-hand."

In North Carolina as of Thursday, Tellico Fire, the largest blaze in the state which officials blame humans for causing, is 81 percent contained after burning 13,874 acres at the Nantahala National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service expects the fire to be fully contained on Sunday.

In Georgia as of Thursday, the Rough Ridge Fire, the largest blaze in the state which officials determined was a natural wildfire caused by lightning, is 40 percent contained after burning 24,765 acres of land at the Chattahoochee National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service expects the fire to be fully contained on Wednesday.

The regional fires in the Southeast have prompted environmental officials to issue air quality alerts, including in the cities of Atlanta, Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tenn., Asheville and Charlotte, N.C., Columbia, S.C., and Charleston.