Moose Droppings

Update on Wildfire in Eastern North Carolina

Jun 05, 2008 @ 12:20 am by Moose

The wildfire continues to rage in the eastern part of the state in some of the most remote areas you could ever see. Mike Noles owner of Conman’s Guide Service had to evacuate the area with his family because of the fire burning his direction. I’ve received some good news from him this evening in regards to his family’s situation

We’ve been allowed to come back in to our homes for now. Only homeowners are being allowed in. The fire has turned to the east (away from us) and is now burning at about 1 mile per hour toward the Alligator River. It has a tremendous fire wall of over 3 miles wide and is picking up speed. They have burned 2 successful back fires between us and the main blaze and that gives us a 3/4 mile burn break should the fire try to turn. It’s black, scortched, plowed earth from the east end of Phelps Lake south to Hwy 45 in Ponzer with a path over 4 miles wide. Last report has over 12,000 acres burned and no real containment in sight. The fire marshalls are predicting another fire of ‘85 when a total of over 90,000 acres of the pocosin burned.

Please keep the men and women that are fighting this monster in your prayers as well as the ones that are now in it’s path. It’s mostly pocosin and farm land in the path, but there are homes scattered through out if it makes it to Hwy 94 out of Columbia.

Here is a recap from the Pilot of today’s events,

A North Carolina wildfire gained new intensity Wednesday, becoming so large that it had created its own weather system with billowing clouds and lightning.
About 10,000 acres were burning Wednesday in North Carolina’s Hyde, Washington and Tyrrell counties, sending smoke as far north as Hampton Roads more than 60 miles away.
The fire, which may have been started by lightning Sunday, burned in a national refuge and threatened to destroy farmland south of Columbia. Firefighters had it contained to about 1,700 acres Tuesday, but dry, windy weather fanned it and pushed it northeastward.
A wall of thick, gray smoke and ash reached east Wednesday across the Alligator River and Pamlico Sound to the Atlantic Ocean. At times, it could be smelled around Hampton Roads and produced a heavy haze that obscured the sun Wednesday evening along the Outer Banks. The fire is about 50 miles west of Hatteras Island in a rural, sparsely populated area.

So far I’ve only seen reports of two minor injuries to firefighters. We pray for their continue safety and the quick containment of this wildfire.
Story by Dan McLaughlin