Bladen Wildfire No Longer Moving
By Drew Brooks, The Fayetteville Observer, N.C.
Jul. 9–A wildfire in Bladen County stopped moving Monday after destroying 826 acres.
A spokeswoman for Bladen County Emergency Services said the blaze near the Rowan Community started Sunday, probably from a lightning strike.
The area’s dense, highly combustible vegetation has fueled the fire.
Forester Corey Klamut said the Division of Forest Resources had nine tractors, a helicopter and a scout plane on the scene along with 25 forest workers and scores of volunteer firefighters.
“It slowed down Monday,” he said. “It’s not a moving fire now.”
The tractors are being used to expand and reinforce containment lines around the blaze.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the fire is 25 percent contained.
Klamut said no residential or commercial structures have been damaged by the fire.
“It is a pretty vacant area,” he said.
A news release said the state’s drought was contributing to above-average wildfire activity.
The Bladen County fire is one of three large wildfires across the state.
Firefighters have fought the Evans Road Fire, covering parts of Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington counties since June 1. That fire has destroyed 41,543 acres to date and is 75 percent contained.
In Pender County, a fire that started in April and burned 2,000 acres before it was contained re-emerged last weekend after smoldering underground, according to emergency personnel. That fire burned 150 additional acres.
Not including the Evans Road Fire, more than 3,000 wildfires have burned 28,306 acres so far in 2008. On average, about 20,000 acres are burned each year in the state.
Staff writer Drew Brooks can be reached at brooksd@fayobserver.com or 486-3567.
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