By Staff
FEMA will help fund Evans Road fire fight
By CLAUD HODGES
Senior Reporter
Ponzer — Firefighters didn’t know it as they worked Saturday, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency decided that day that it will help pay for much of their work.
On Saturday, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole (Rep. N.C.) announced that FEMA has approved the state’s request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant declaration, which means that the state will be reimbursed for 75 percent of the cost of fighting the Evans Road fire.
The suppression cost of the fire stood at $2,693,975 at 6 p.m. Saturday, according to the N.C. Incident Management Team afternoon update.
At the fire scene on Saturday, 578 personnel were fighting the fire.
The fire update reported that 41,060 acres have burned in Hyde, Washington and Tyrrell counties and that 40 percent of the blaze is contained.
The fire was started by a lightning strike in Hyde County two weeks ago.
He said winds were light and were allowing firefighters to make some progress Saturday.
About two miles north of the trailer off New Lake Road, crews in the Foxtrot Division were working on hot spots along a fire containment line where the trees were in flames a week ago.
The ground in this area was smoldering and white smoke was drifting into the air Saturday afternoon.
Occasionally, black smoke would appear, which indicates that there is a burning, usually flaming, hot spot at its base.
Crews in brush trucks are continually monitoring the containment lines along this fire break.
He said the heat is intense in the ground and the fire service has to stay right on the containment lines to prevent hot spots from shooting across the lines and igniting brush across from the lines.