Evan's Road Fire July 16, 2008
Incident: Evans Road Wildland Fire
Released: 7/16/2008
Current Status
·¨The weather yesterday was beneficial in helping to keep vegetation and soil moist. The Evans Road Fire received scattered showers, while the relative humidity remained above 60%. Although, this will not nearly be enough rainfall to extinguish ground fires, it certainly will help limit the spread. During the day, analysts retrieved peat soil samples which showed the soil to be dry from the previous day's rain and therefore capable of supporting combustion.
·¨After yesterday's continued moist conditions, the forecast shows a trend toward drier conditions. Suppression efforts today included making substantial progress in extinguishing observed hotspots.
·¨A burning ban remains in effect for Hyde, Washington, Tyrrell and Beaufort counties and other counties in southeastern North Carolina. Efforts are underway to rescind the ban in some affected areas.
·¨Forty-eight wildland fire engines are assigned to the fire today. Firefighters use these four-wheel-drive vehicles to patrol the perimeter of the fire, and suppress hot spots or flare-ups that would otherwise undermine roadways.
·¨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 www.ncair.org/news/pr/2008/smoke warning.shtml.
For additional information on the fire, visit the Pocosin Lakes Wildlife Refuge web site at: http://www.fws.gov/pocosinlakes
Resources on the Fire
218 personnel, 13 tractor/plow units, 2 water tenders; 48 engines & 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; Cisco Systems; Bureau of Land Management; local volunteer fire departments.
Plans for Tomorrow
Drafting & sprinkler operations will continue in order to assist in providing fire extinguishment in peat soils and reinforcement of containment lines. Rehabilitation work is ongoing in accordance with the plan developed by NCDFR and USFWS.
