Multiple wildfires erupted in areas of Western North Carolina devastated by Hurricane Helene. FOX Weather reported at least three wildfires near towns impacted by the storm. BREAKING: At least three wildfires have ignited near North Carolina towns that were devastated by Hurricane Helene. pic.twitter.com/d5btcYPi4B — The General (@GeneralMCNews) January 30, 2025 #BREAKING: RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO EVACUATE DUE TO OUT OF CONTROL WILDFIRE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA NEAR OLD FORT. Firefighters are saying gusty winds are pushing the fire further and making it difficult to control. This is NOT good… pray for Western North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/YAp7Wr34Nf — Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) January 29, 2025 FOX Weather reports: As of Thursday morning, the Crooked Creek Fire in McDowell County has burned an estimated 250 acres and is now 55% contained. Emergency crews said they made significant progress overnight as winds diminished and relative humidity increased, leading to lower fire activity. The evacuation order for the affected areas has been lifted, allowing residents to safely return to their homes. Emergency personnel will remain on-site throughout the day to monitor the situation and ensure further containment of the fire. There have been no injuries or fatalities reported. However, one home has sustained damage, and multiple outbuildings have been destroyed, fire officials said. The McDowell County Office of Emergency Management said the fire was started by a tree on a downed power line, and gusty winds are driving the flames in the area. Wildfires erupt near North Carolina towns ravaged by Hurricane Helene https://t.co/pF47vFdl3C pic.twitter.com/BgOOXzTu7n — New York Post (@nypost) January 30, 2025 WATCH: Wildfire forces evacuations in North Carolina town still reeling from Hurricane Helene A wildfire near Old Fort, NC, has torched 250 acres, forcing evacuations in a town still licking its wounds from Hurricane Helene. Sparked by a tree taking down a power line (talk… pic.twitter.com/a9YQOToKzh — Kristy Tallman (@KristyTallman) January 30, 2025 Western North Carolina wildfires..We have three wild fires the largest is 250 acres 15% contained second is 2 acres and the third fire is 40 acres zero contain.Need lots of prayers for WNC there is still a lot of timber and trees laying all around due to the flood and hurricane… pic.twitter.com/x57lso9iLu — Sandra (@JPHames) January 30, 2025 Per CBS News: A second wildfire has erupted in western North Carolina’s McDowell County, an area that was ravaged by Hurricane Helene just four months ago, nearly to the day, officials said. The fire, dubbed the North Fork Fire, comes a day after the Crooked Creek Fire suddenly arose in the county’s town of Old Fort, a town of just 800 people. McDowell County Emergency Services said Thursday morning that they are actively monitoring the North Fork Fire, which has so far grown to 60 acres and is 0% contained. At this time, the department said, “there is no imminent threat to structures.” “Local fire departments are on scene and working in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service to provide structure protection and monitor fire behavior,” the department said. “Crews will continue containment efforts throughout the day.” The North Fork Fire, which is in the town of Marion, arose just hours after the Crooked Creek Fire developed in Old Fort. Originally, McDowell emergency officials described Crooked Creek as “out of control.” In their latest update just before 7 a.m. local time on Thursday, they said that the fire had grown to an estimated 250 acres and was 55% contained and that “significant progress” had been made overnight. “Winds diminished and relative humidity increased leading to lower fire activity,” officials said, adding that the progress meant that evacuation orders for affected areas would be lifted at 8 a.m. local time. “Emergency personnel will continue to remain on-site throughout the day to monitor the situation and ensure further containment of the fire.” WATCH:

President Trump said on Thursday that “there are no survivors” from the horrific mid-air collision between a military helicopter and an American Airlines airplane. “Sadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capitol and in our nation’s history and a tragedy of terrible proportions,” Trump said. WATCH: President Trump on DCA helicopter-plane crash: "Sadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capitol and in our nation's history and a tragedy of terrible proportions." pic.twitter.com/ZzeXygwpAr — CSPAN (@cspan) January 30, 2025 Trump confirmed prior statements from authorities, saying they didn’t believe there were any survivors from the tragedy. Washington’s fire department chief, John Donnelly, reported there have been a total of 28 bodies recovered, and authorities “were switching from a search-and-rescue operation to a recovery operation.” WATCH: NOW — DC Fire Chief John Donnelly: “We don't believe there are any survivors from this accident. We have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter … We will continue to work to find all the bodies and collect them and reunite them with their loved ones.” pic.twitter.com/DBf76ynl7l — Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) January 30, 2025 Lily Wu, the mayor of Wichita, Kansas, said they were told “that there are no survivors.” WATCH: Mayor of Wichita, Kansas Lily Wu says there are likely no survivors in deadly plane crash at DCA. pic.twitter.com/liyQvw4fJh — FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) January 30, 2025 From the Associated Press: All 64 people aboard an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter were feared dead in what was likely to be the worst U.S. aviation disaster in almost a quarter century, officials said Thursday. At least 28 bodies have been pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River as recovery operations continue. BREAKING: Officials believe there are no survivors after the midair collision between a passenger plane and a U.S. Army helicopter in D.C.; at least 28 bodies have been recovered. https://t.co/5EnwkdvlUq — NBC News (@NBCNews) January 30, 2025 “We’ll find out how this disaster occurred and we’ll ensure that nothing like this ever happens again,” Trump said. WATCH: "We'll find out how this disaster occurred and we’ll ensure that nothing like this ever happens again," President Trump said about the collision between American Flight 5342 and a military helicopter that left no survivors https://t.co/l4mR5fldnc pic.twitter.com/wm6sJJBC9x — Bloomberg (@business) January 30, 2025 Per USA TODAY: The crash occurred just before 9 p.m. Wednesday when American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, attempted to land and collided in midair with the Black Hawk helicopter. The passenger plane was carrying 64 people, while three service members were aboard the helicopter. Early Thursday morning, John Donnelly, the chief of Washington’s fire department, said 27 bodies were recovered from the plane and one body was recovered from the helicopter. He said authorities were switching from a rescue mission to a recovery operation. Officials did not say what caused the collision but described both crews as “experienced” and noted that the helicopter and the plane were following standard flight patterns. “Everything was standard in the lead-up to the crash,” Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said. “Now, obviously something happened here, but you’ll get more information and more details as this investigation moves forward. We’ll learn what happened.”

The internet is ablaze with speculation following the catastrophic mid-air collision near Washington, D.C. that left 67 people dead, as reports surface regarding remote technology recently unveiled by Lockheed Martin and the sudden deployment of [...] The post Lockheed Martin’s Remote ‘MATRIX’ Blackhawk Tech Under Scrutiny Following DC Air Disaster  appeared first on The People's Voice.

President Trump briefed reporters at the White House Thursday morning just hours after a commercial passenger plane collided with a military helicopter while landing in Washington, DC, likely killing all 67 people aboard the two aircraft.   PRESIDENT TRUMP: "I speak to you this morning in an hour of anguish for our nation … As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly — and we are in mourning." pic.twitter.com/j7pZSioexN— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 30, 2025 “A group within the FAA determined that the workforce was too white, then they had concerted efforts to get the administration to change that and to change it immediately,” Trump said. “This was in the Obama administration.” Immediately upon taking office, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum terminating a Biden administration FAA hiring policy that prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) over safety and efficiency. pic.twitter.com/VZOoJuOWNs— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 30, 2025 “Brilliant people have to be in those positions,” Trump said. “I changed the Obama standards from very mediocre at best to extraordinary,” Trump said at a press conference. “Only the highest aptitude. They have to be the highest intellect and psychological aptitude that were allowed to be qualified for air traffic controllers.” PRESIDENT TRUMP: "My administration will set the highest possible bar for aviation safety. We have to have the smartest people — it doesn't matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. It matters — intellect. Talent." pic.twitter.com/6PwrnIjR8q— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 30, 2025 Watch Trump’s comments above.

CNN commentator Bakari Sellers, along with two other well known left-leaning commentators with massive social media followings, sparked outrage on Wednesday night by blaming President Donald Trump for the tragic midair collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter.