UPDATE: Driving Creek Fire near Bolton 75% contained; Highway 211 reopens
Officials urge drivers to stay in vehicle while traveling Highway 211, forest areas remain hazardous
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) – The fire off Highway 211 near Bolton, also known as the Driving Creek Fire, has been about 75% contained, according to the North Carolina Forest Service.
Shallotte resident Paul Baker was in the area for work.
“It’s been pretty smoky the past few days but it’s died down a lot today (Wednesday).
The brush fire that forced officials to shut down a portion of Highway 211 earlier this week, but has now reopened as of about 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The North Carolina Forest Service’s Incident Commander Shane Hardee said there was active fire headed toward the highway on Tuesday.
Low visibility was partly to blame for the initial closure of the major thoroughfare.
“Once we got the fire contained, then it was a matter of smoke impacts, and the safety of our fire crews having to go up and down the road,” said Hardee.
Another factor were hazardous trees falling on and near the roadway.
“We’ve had a lot of live trees, that’s because the soil has burned away from the root system, which allowed the tree to fall,” said Hardee. “We had several trees fall on the highway.”
Now – crews will continue to work with heavy equipment, planes and a helicopter until the fire is 100% contained.
The helicopter has several jobs to do, according to Hardee, the aircraft is used to set back fires; drop water buckets and survey the wildfire area, necessary for operations like this.
Tree removal was complete as of 5 p.m. Wednesday – all personnel on the fire went home to get some much needed rest after no sleep since Sunday – but will return Thursday to improve control lines and mop up the fire’s edge.
There is still a present danger, Hardee urges drivers to stay in their vehicles while traveling on Highway 211, the forest areas remain hazardous.
Click here, for up-to-date information on closure status related to the Driving Creek Fire in Green Swamp Preserve of Brunswick County.
N.C. Forest Service resources included a strike team, tractor plow units, four fixed-wing aircraft, a helicopter and ground crews.
The wildfire started in a remote area, in difficult terrain about six miles north of Supply along Highway 211, according to Brunswick County government officials.
The cause of the wildfire was a lightning strike related to weekend storms, however, the incident remains under investigation.
