NEWS RELEASE
Evans Road Fire Update- Aug. 5, 2008
Current Status·Ø This will be the last scheduled Evans Road Fire Update. Daily 209 information (Incident Status Summary) will continue to be posted to Inciweb. Additional information is. more
Approximate Location
35.62 latitude, -76.452 longitudeSummary
The Evans Road Fire was reported on June 1 approximately 15 miles NW of Fairfield in the New Lake vicinity in eastern North Carolina, several miles south of Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge on private land. The fire resulted from a lightning strike. On the afternoon of June 3, the fire broke from containment, running 3,000 acres onto Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. By late evening, the blaze had grown to approximately 8,000 acres. Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is approximately 93,000-acres and is home to the endangered red wolf, black bear, hundreds of species of migratory birds, and a variety of other native wildlife. The refuge is a popular attraction for birders, wildlife photographers, as well as being a good hunting and fishing hot spot.
Windy weather and a limited water supply have complicated suppression efforts for firefighters. The fire is primarily burning in shrubby swamp lands which are very difficult to suppress in dry conditions due to the explosive fire movement through the shrubs and the large amounts of organic vegetation in the soil available to burn. The fire will likely linger for weeks in the soil until significant rainfall floods the swamp.
For the Evans Road Fire, firefighters from around the country have packed their bags and set off to fight fire. Their basic needs of food and laundry service have been provided by volunteers from the North Carolina Baptist Men. This evening, the Eva
Credit: Melissa Yunas, Florida Interagency Incedent Manage
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildland Fire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | Sunday June 01st, 2008 aprox 12:00 PM |
| Location | 15 miles NW of Fairfield and 7 miles S of Creswell in Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties, NC |
| Incident Commander | Robert Smith |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 84 |
|---|---|
| Size | 40,704 acres |
| Percent Contained | 90% |
| Fuels Involved | 4 Chaparral (6 ft) Primary fuel model is model 4 (high pocosin), 12 medium slash now present as trees with burned out root systems are falling |
| Fire Behavior | No surface fire. Ground fire continues to burn in inaccessible pockets. |
| Significant Events | Rehabilitation groups continue to implement the recommendations in the Evans Road Fire Rehabilitation Plan for Repair of Fire Suppression Damage. Progress on repair of fire suppression damage has been significant today with a focus on seeding and mulching areas to protect water quality. Un-needed equipment is being demobilized and returned to home base. Fire records are being organized and prepared for transition. Excess resources continue to be demobilized. A transition plan is being finalized. |
Outlook
| Planed Actions | Make final preparations for transition to Type 3 team on Saturday. Close out ICP in Pantego. Continue to hold water in canals for another 2 to 4 weeks to allow water to seep into organic soil and maintain a high water table to take advantage of any rainfall received during the period. |
|---|---|
| Growth Potential | Low |
| Terrain Difficulty | Extreme |
| Remarks | The Evan’s Road Fire can be expected to continue presenting suppression issues until the area receives significant rainfall. Air quality issues are not a concern at this time. A State of Emergency was issued for Hyde, Washington, and Tyrrell Counties, and has been in place since 6/6/08. |
Weather
| Current Wind Conditions | 6 mph NW |
|---|---|
| Current Temperature | 96 degrees |
| Current Humidity | 47 % |
