BRUNSWICK COUNTY — A highway has reopened after being closed in Brunswick County on Saturday due to the wildfire that started out of controlled burn in Green Swamp Nature Preserve.
Highway 211 from Little Macedonia to Camp Branch is open to all traffic, according to the N.C. Forest Service.
“Having that road closed the last couple of days has been crucial to securing the fires edge there and also making it safe for our firefighters to work and save for the travelers moving forward,” Operations Section Chief Kenny Griffin said in a morning video update.
The forest service encourages drivers to move with caution through the area, still.
“Please, don’t everybody come out a to take a look at this,” Griffin added.
Fire crews and equipment are working to contain it. The wildfire remains at 15,600 acres, roughly 50% contained per Monday evening’s update.
Griffin added the moisture in the area, due to a light rain that accumulated 0.13 inches, has helped.
“What it looks like moving forward is going to depend on the amount of rain that we get,” he said.
Some pockets are burning deep in the organic soil, which has built up fuels for 70 years as the Green Swamp preserve hasn’t endured a fire since the 1950s. The firefighters continue putting out hot spots and “cooling the fuels” that keep it burning.
Even with rain, smoke can be expected as the ground smolders until the combustible material is consumed.
“The smoldering ground fire is going to take significant amounts of rain to put out, so we will continue to see smoke in the interior of the fire for quite some time until we can get accumulated rain,” Fire Behavior Analyst David Greathouse said in a press release.
Tuesday’s forecast has a possibility of showers, with rain expected through the end of the week.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality air division is reporting the Brunswick area has stabilized some with moderate air quality and surrounding areas now in the clear.
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