ASHEVILLE, N.C. — An employee at the Biltmore Estate in western North Carolina was killed when struck by a tree during high winds Saturday night, authorities said.
A spokesperson for the estate confirmed the employee’s death in a statement to WLOS-TV calling the event “devastating to all of us.”
“We feel the weight of this heartbreaking event,” the spokesperson said.
#BREAKING A spokesperson for Biltmore confirms an employee was tragically killed when a tree fell during strong winds on Saturday. https://t.co/KsOdzC25G8#avlnews
— WLOS (@WLOS_13) April 2, 2023
Officials with the estate said the facility was closed due to a high-wind warning that was in place in the Asheville area until midnight Saturday, WSPA-TV reported. The Biltmore experienced power outages on Saturday, according to the television station. It reopened on Sunday.
The employee’s death occurred almost a year after Casey Skudin, a New York City firefighter, was killed when a tree fell on top of his vehicle near the entrance to the Biltmore Estate, WSPA reported.
The victim’s name and age have not been released, according to WLOS. The estate’s spokesperson said assistance was being offered to the family of the victim.
No other information has been released.
Western North Carolina experienced several brushfires and wildfires, WLOS reported. One blaze on Spivey Mountain in Buncombe County was sparked from a downed power line, according to the television station.
