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In neighboring Kentucky, 33 wildfires were burning statewide and had consumed 15,950 acres according to the state’s Department of Forestry. Burn bans were in place in 60 counties across the state, and Gov. Matt Bevin declared a state of emergency on Thursday.

Farther east, the North Carolina Forest Service said Monday that 30 fires were active, and burning bans were in place for 25 western counties. According to Charlotte meteorologist Brad Panovich, most of the mountains in western North Carolina have not seen significant rain in 75 days.

“I haven’t ever seen it this dry in my lifetime”, said Jane A. Thomas, 70, of Cashiers, N.C., a mountain village about a 1½-hour drive southwest of Asheville.

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Over the weekend, nearby fires filled Cashiers with smoke before winds shifted, blowing it back toward Tennessee.

In Georgia, the Rough Ridge fire has grown to over 5,000 acres and is the largest in the region. It was caused by a lightning strike on Oct. 1 and is being fueled by the parched conditions and dry leaf litter. “Because of rough terrain firefighters are facing, crews are heavily monitoring the fire using infrared flights and using fire lines to control it but are allowing it to accomplish its natural ecological role,” reported television affiliate WXIA in Atlanta.

The situation is going to get worse before winter rains and snow most likely extinguish the fires. “The fire danger will go down as we get colder”, but “the short-term forecast isn’t good, while the pattern has changed to cooler weather the lack of moisture remains. No significant rain is expected for the next seven days,” Panovich said.

Areas even hundreds of miles from the blazes were predicted to feel some of their effects. A cold front pushing toward the East Coast on Wednesday is predicted to spread smoke all the way to North Carolina’s Outer Banks: