Evans Road Fire Update - July 24, 2008
Incident: Evans Road Wildfire
Released: 7/24/2008
July 24, 2008
For Evans Road Fire Information, please call:
Cell 252-943-4283
New Office Line 252-943-3129
Contact: Nigel Baker
Public Information Officer
ERF.Information@ncmail.net.
Current Status:
The Evans Road Fire has received 3 days of good rain. Yesterday's
rainfall averaged .7 inches. Fourteen 24-hour rain gauges are
strategically placed throughout the fire area to capture and track
rainfall progress. Some areas of the fire received more rain than
others. Even if the surface of the ground gets wet, a long duration of
rain is needed to penetrate the dense fuels of peat soil that is deep
and sheltered from the rain. The water table needs to be brought up to
meet the hottest part of the subsurface fire.
Peat soils are 90% organic matter that has been compressed over many
years. They tend to burn like charcoal briquettes, slowly, evenly
releasing lots of heat. Heat that is released tends to dry out the
adjacent peat soil thus moving laterally underneath the surface. Peat
soil fires can burn for months and even years (Florida, Minnesota and
Scotland are good examples). Significant snowfall, tropical storms and
hurricanes can significantly increase the water table, helping to
suppress these fires.
Firefighters continue to flood hot spots and heat sources that have
been pinpointed by infrared. Roadways, canals and ditches have been
built so firefighters can safely gain access to the obstructed
northeast side. Access on the northeast of the side has hindered
containment. Progress on the northeast side has recently been made due
to rain keeping the surface fires to a minimum.
The Evans Road Fire is 75% contained at 40,704 acres. The reduction in
acreage is due to more accurate mapping of the uncontrolled fireline on
the NE side. This reduction also changes the percentage of the fire
area on State, private and Federal lands. To date, sixty (60%) percent
of the fire has burned on US Fish and Wildlife Lands. Forty (40%)
percent of the fire has burned on state and private lands.
Caution is advised while driving as smoke can reduce visibility on
highways. Smoke advisories may be found at: www.weather.gov/mhx. A
map of forecast smoke impact areas may be found at http://www.ncair./
org/news/pr/2008/smoke warning.shtml.
Resources on the Fire:
278 personnel, 12 tractor/plow units, 4 water tenders; 42 engines, 2
camp crews & 1 helicopter.
Cooperators:
Florida Division of Forestry, Georgia Forestry Commission, Kentucky
Division of Forestry, Mississippi Forestry Commission, South Carolina
Forestry Commission, Tennessee Division of Forestry, Virginia
Department of Forestry, US Fish & Wildlife Service; Hyde, Tyrrell &
Washington County Emergency Management; NC Division of Emergency
Management; National Weather Service; Department of Transportation;
Department of Defense; Hyde County; Hyde County Sheriff's Office;
National Park Service; NC Division of Parks and Recreation; NC Division
of Water Quality; NCWRC, Division of Wildlife Management; NC Division
of Air Quality, NC Highway Patrol; NC Office of State Fire Marshal;
USDA-Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; local volunteer fire
departments.
Plans for Tomorrow:
Pumping & sprinkler operations will continue providing reinforcement
of containment lines.
