A 10-acre fire that began late Sunday night in Croatan National Forest rapidly ballooned to one that had consumed 550-acres and continued to burn into Monday night.
The fire began around 9:30 p.m. in Carteret County, near the intersection of N.C. 24 and Nine Mile Road. U.S. Forest Service and other agencies are battling the blaze.
According to Forestry Incident Commander James Jerry, volunteer firefighters were the first on the scene and were able to keep the fire from jumping the road and spreading to nearby woodlands.
“It’s 60 to 70-percent contained,” Jerry said. “Right now it is just a matter of mopping up remaining hot spots.”
There are no reports of injuries. One home along N.C. 24 and many trees that house the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker were threatened.
According to Jerry, firefighters from U.S. and N.C. Forest Service, volunteer fire departments and the Department of Defense were able to contain the wildfire and protect the house and trees by digging surrounding safety lines and using controlled backburns.
The fire’s cause is still under investigation, though a release from the N.C. Forest Service said it is believed humans are responsible.
Miles away, a wildfire that begin Sunday afternoon and burned for much of Sunday evening in the Maple Hill area has been contained after engulfing 125 acres.
N.C. Forestry personnel are still investigating the origin of the fire and its cause, according to Onslow County Fire Marshal Brian Kelly.
“The safety lines are still holding,” said Kelly.
Flight logs from the Forestry Service documented a total of 17 drops of fire retardant and water to help combat the flame during the height of the blaze. No residences were damaged and no casualties were reported; however, one small outbuilding was completely destroyed.