A woods fire is smoking up a neighborhood on Share Cake Road outside Clinton, and conditions in the area will continue to be smoky until Sampson County gets significant rainfall, fire officials say.
Crews from Halls Fire, Vanns Crossroads Fire and the NC Forest Service battled a blaze that sent smoke billowing through the area on Monday afternoon. Though the fire has been contained, Sampson County Fire Marshal Prentice Madgar said the conditions will persist until the area sees at least a few inches of rain.
Halls Fire Chief Bryan Royal said his team of firefighters got the call at 3:46 p.m. Monday. A landowner had been clearing land on the site, and because it was cleared before the statewide burn ban was enacted, the owner had a permit to burn debris.
The fire was sparked due to the unusually dry conditions the area is facing, Madgar explained. “Before the burn ban was put into place, they were doing some land clearing at the site on Share Cake Road,” he said. “The wind we had [Monday], combined with the incredibly dry conditions, ignited one of their debris burn piles.”
Royal said crews worked to contain the fire as much as possible once they arrived on scene, with the NC Forest Service creating a plow line to keep the fire from spreading.
“Once we got there, sparks actually jumped to another debris pile,” he shared. “There’s another set of woods across the highway that we were concerned about. We sat there until probably about 10 p.m. last night. My deputy chief went out throughout the night to check on it.”
As of Tuesday morning, the fire was under control, but the smoke will persist until there is a significant amount of rain. “We put a bunch of water on it,” Madgar said, “but there’s no way to make the fire go completely out until there is a significant amount of rain to really soak into the burn pile. Otherwise, it’s just gonna keep sparking.”
Royal cautioned, “If the wind got up, it could potentially jump the plow line and get in to another set of woods.”
There is no other property in danger and no injuries were reported. Royal said there was no danger to any structures as of press time. “Currently it is isolated and we’re just hoping for the best until we can get some rain and it can burn itself out,” he added.
Fire officials are keeping an eye on the site, he stressed, and are ready to respond should the blaze ignite again.
Royal shared on Wednesday morning that crews from Halls Fire Department and the NC Forest Service were back on the scene, pumping water to the debris pile to try to ensure it doesn’t reignite. “Hopefully we are in the final stages of it today,” Royal said Wednesday. “We do have a tanker on scene, helping provide water to the Forest Service throughout the day. We are trying to stay on top of it.”
The statewide ban on open burning was enacted March 28, and since then, more than 550 wildfires have burned more than 2,200 acres across the state, according to the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. The NC Forest Service falls under the NCDACS’ purview. “With little rainfall or improvement expected over the next seven to 10 days, the statewide burn ban and enforcement action will continue until further notice,” a press release from the NCDACS states.
“Even with a burn ban in place we are continuing to see significant wildfire activity across the state because of conditions,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Persistent drought, warmer temperatures, low humidity and no rainfall, mean fires start quickly, spread quickly and burn intensely, which makes them harder to contain, control and extinguish. Our NC Forest Service staff will continue to monitor conditions and respond to wildfires across the state, but the public can help by following the burn ban and taking care with anything that can start a fire.”
The Sampson County Fire Marshal’s Office issued a ban on all outdoor burning effective March 31. “The purpose of this burn ban is to cover areas not included within the ban issued by the NC Forest Service,” a notice from Sampson County Government explained. “This ban will remain in effect until the ban issued by the NC Forest Service is rescinded and applies to all unincorporated areas of Sampson County.”
The NC Forest Service advises citizens to exercise “extreme caution” when using equipment, machines, mowers or any vehicles on dry grass, as well as smoking materials such as cigarettes, or anything else that could possibly ignite a spark.
Though they didn’t personally fight the fire, Royal also credited the fire department’s Ladies Auxiliary for helping them throughout the emergency situation. “They showed up tonight in a big way — bringing water, Gatorade, and Hardee’s cheeseburgers and fries for our emergency personnel,” he wrote on a social media post. “These ladies are volunteering their time, their vehicles, and even their own fuel to support those on the front lines. Their dedication and generosity mean more than words can express.”
The Ladies Auxiliary just got restarted two weeks ago after going dormant for a while, Royal told The Sampson Independent Tuesday. “I’m just very blessed with the support we’ve got in the community. The Ladies Auxiliary … [has] been a really great thing for our community. Last night they took care of us.”