By Staff
Wind flames fire, 100 acres burned
By GREG KATSKI
Staff Writer
Firefighters from three counties battled a 100-acre wildfire along the Beaufort County-Pitt County line Friday afternoon.
The rapid advance of the fire prompted 18 personnel with the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources and firefighters from several volunteer fire departments in Beaufort, Pitt and Craven counties to respond to the blaze.
Blackjack Volunteer Fire Department Chief Gary Phipps was the first firefighter to arrive at the scene at approximately 2 p.m.
Phipps and members of the Blackjack department tried to contain the fire with an initial attack, but gusting winds carried the fire.
With the fire starting to get out of control, Phipps contacted the DFR office in Pitt County.
Pitt County forest ranger Derrick Moore arrived on the scene and took over as incident commander.
An air tanker was called in and guided by a lead plane to the fire. With the air tanker having minimal success with extinguishing the fire, six plow tractors were brought in to try to contain the blaze.
By 3:30 p.m., the fire was about 15 percent contained, according to a DFR spokesman, with more firefighters arriving on the scene.
“At this time, I have no idea what determined the cause of it. Just judging by the burn pattern from the side of the road it could have been a cigarette,” Phipps said.
Chocowinity Volunteer Fire Department Capt. James Smith’s main concern was protecting a housing development on the fringes on the fire. Smith and Chocowinity firefighters were stationed on Crystal Lane off Cayton Road, among numerous mobile homes. With the fire inching closer to the houses, the Chocowinity firefighters were prepared to attack the fire at any moment.
Among 77 wildfires reported in North Carolina on Thursday, according to DFR, was one that threatened structures near Belhaven. Belhaven and Pantego volunteer firefighters extinguished a brush fire two miles outside Belhaven before it could reach Pro Auto Body on the U.S. Highway 264 bypass.
Another brush fire started Thursday near the intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and N.C. Highway 102, within several miles of the Friday fire farther west on N.C. 102.
Also on Friday, a wildfire in Tyrrell County burned about 105 acres. According to Brian Haines, a DFR spokesman, the fire was 85 percent contained by 3:30 p.m.
With several wildfires throughout the state Friday, Haines expected the statewide ban on all open burning, imposed Thursday, to remain in effect today.
Phipps believes the potential for wildfires is extremely high because of existing weather conditions.