BURKE COUNTY, N.C. -- A forest fire in Burke County is forcing hikers out of a state park and forest rangers said it could be days before the fire is under control.

No one has been injured in the fire, but sources say it is advancing on private property in the area.

A crew of 120 forest rangers and firefighters has been working for about 36 hours now to try and contain this blaze.

High winds and low humidity Wednesday night allowed the fire to grow and those conditions are also making it very difficult for firefighters to gain control of the fire.

The fire started early Wednesday morning off of old NC 105 near the Shortoff Mountain area.

Forest rangers said it has now charred more than 70 acres of trees. Dry weather and high winds have made the blaze too dangerous for firefighters, so forest rangers have pulled back to try a back burn.

That means they will burn a circle of trees around the fire cutting off its fuel supply and trapping the blaze within that circle.

But the fire is growing quickly and has already forced rangers to close the western trails of the neighboring Linville Gorge as well as the unpaved portion of old NC 105.

They are asking the public to stay away from the area.

Rangers are hoping Mother Nature will lend a hand Thursday night with some rain. Without a major rain event, they say it could be days before they are able to contain the fire.

Another problem for firefighters is a lack of resources. Forest rangers say the tanker trucks they need to carry water to the fire are being used to fight fires in Georgia.

A helicopter was dropping fire retardant in the area Wednesday, but with the ground as dry as it is, rangers say it didn’t help much. They are really hoping for rain.