Fire in Croatan National Forest burns hundreds of acres

JONES COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - A fire in Croatan National Forest is now 40% contained after burning 850 acres.

The forest had burnt tree limbs, filling the air Monday morning.

“It came as a smoke report on Black Swamp and Holiston Creek Rd,” Scott Carpenter, who works at the U.S. Forest Service, told WITN. “When I heard on the radio obviously, that it was in the forest, so we gave our FMO a call to let him know to start sending resources.”

The U.S. Forest Service says the Black Swamp Fire started around 12:20 Sunday afternoon. Carpenter says they are using ground and aviation resources from the Forest Service are working to improve fire lines and increase containment.

“A fire this size, maybe we get two or three a year, but it’s not uncommon,” said Carpenter. “It’s also not super common.”

David Nelson, the Director Fire Management Officer for Croatan National Forest, says the fire is burning in the same region as the Great Lakes Fire in 2023.

“It was a bit of a surprise,” said Nelson. “It shows us how dry we are. We are in a moderate to severe drought, and it’s dry enough to burn through a two-year-old fire scar and with pretty good fire behavior.”

While the drought stays consistent across the east, Nelson says to be cautious if you burn tree limbs or yard debris.

“It is dry with a moderate to severe drought,” said Nelson. “The grass has greened up a little bit in the backyards, so people’s debris piles are getting into the woods much but still keep an eye on those.”

Black Swamp Rd and the Black Swamp Highway-Off-Vehicle trail are closed until further notice. The fire is under investigation.