ASHEVILLE, N.C. — North Carolina’s famed Cold Mountain near Asheville is on fire.
U.S. Forest Service video shows orange flames and white smoke along multiple spots on the mountain’s ridge.
The state Forest Service is warning visitors that warmer, drier days combined with windy weather -- could quickly dry forest fuels, increasing the risk of wildfire.
It's not clear what caused the fire, which began early Thursday.
The mountain has been featured in a popular novel and an award-winning movie. Charles Frazier’s best-selling book “Cold Mountain” is about a Confederate soldier’s journey through western North Carolina. The book was later adapted into a 2003 movie starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger.
The forest service didn’t release details on what might have caused the fire or where it started. The Shining Rock Wilderness area is temporarily closed because of the fire.
The mountain is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) from the city of Asheville.
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