Lightening strikes again, now causing a wildfire in Pender County | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Another wildfire sparked by lightening, on June 19, 2011, has affected North Carolina. The wildfire in Pender County's Holly Shelter Gamelands, Juniper Road and County Line Road, and 8 miles North of Topsail is continuing to burn out of control. On Wednesday, June 22nd, it has grown another 8,000 acres, bringing the total affected acreage to over 18,000. Thursday, June 23rd, the fire had burned over 21,000 acres and only 10 percent contained. People living in coastal communities, including Topsail and Hampstead, were urged to be ready for possible evacuation warnings. Smoke from the fire has become dense and reached up to 19,000 feet in the atmosphere Thursday. Southwesterly winds will likely push smoke over northeastern Pender County and up the East Coast as far as Maryland and Delaware on Thursday night. The smoke could affect visibility on Interstate 40 and N.C. highways 17, 210, 24, 50 and 53, as well as secondary roads. Near the fire, visibility could drop to as low as 66 feet. Air quality has been reduced by the smoke along the North Carolina coast. On Thursday, air quality warnings ranged from the medium-level Code Orange to the most severe Code Purple.

    Shelters have been set up at Onslow County's Southwest Middle School and Topsail Elementary in Hampstead. Onslow County has rescinded a voluntary evacuation order for homes along Highway 50, but a state of emergency remains in place for the county as the Juniper Road wildfire continues to burn. Voluntary evacuations have been issued for anyone living west of Highway 17 between the Onslow County line and Sloop Point Road. There are 144 people working to contain the currently 21,336 acres of wildfire, which is now only 15 percent contained. There are 6 feet of 4 chaparral pocosin fuels involved in sustaining the fire. Indirect suppression lines continue to be installed on all divisions. Alternative man-made breaks are being scouted for possible use as firebreaks for future burnout operations on the northeast end of the fire. Planned efforts are to continue installing indirect suppression lines along all divisions in anticipation of on-going burnout operations. There is a high growth potential as well as high terrain difficulty. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources has issued a ban on open burning for 27 eastern counties including New Hanover, Brunswick, Bladen, Columbus and Pender.