BRUNSWICK COUNTY — A wildfire that grew from a controlled burn is now contained, according to the county government.
READ MORE: Forest Service launches investigation after week-long blaze in Brunswick
The Green Swamp Nature Preserve was 100% contained as of last Thursday, June 29. The final acreage affected is 15,642.
According to Brunswick County government, N.C. Forest Service personnel continue to occasionally monitor the area.
As well, the burn ban issued for the unincorporated areas within Brunswick County lifted Friday, June 30.
The fire’s effect on the preserve is already showing progress, with flora and fauna already coming back to life with much of the 70-year-old vegetation burned away.
Fire-dependent plants and animals commonly found in the state are gopher frogs, pine snakes, pitcher plants, Venus’ Flytraps, longleaf pines, bog spicebushes and prairie warblers. All of these species can be found inside the Green Swamp Preserve.
According to The Nature Conservancy, the Green Swamp Preserve has at least 14 species of insectivorous plants, as well as orchids and long leaf savannas. All of them benefit from fires, as their roots are protected by even the hottest blazes. Flames knock back shrubby vegetation and allow light to hit the forest floor, so low-lying plant species can exist.
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