Crews battle Croatan National Forest wildfire amid dry and windy conditions

NEWPORT, CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Wildfire raged across 108 acres of land on the second day of extreme fire danger in Eastern Carolina and residents could see the smoke from a distance.

Officials says the Croatan National Forest wildfire off Nine Foot Road began around 4 p.m. Saturday behind Croatan Drive and became a threat to homes off Rams Horn Road as strong winds blew the fire east.

“We’ve got multiple crews working on it right now, trying to mop up all the smoke along Nine Foot Road and behind Croatan Drive, just making sure all those houses are secure,” David Nelson, U.S. Forest Service Incident Commander, says.

Firefighters worked to contain the flames and reached 100 percent as of Sunday evening.

“We’ve been able to put more lines, put hand crews in, and establish lines all the way through,” Nelson says.

Along with the U.S. Forest Service, the Newport Fire Department, Broad and Gales Creek Fire Department, and North Carolina Forest Service helped contain the fire.

According to the U.S. Forest Service map tracker, more than 250 fires burned across the state on Saturday alone.

Although the fire threat Sunday was not as severe as it was Saturday, humidity levels remain low, and with high winds, officials are still warning against burning.