Black Swamp Fire

The Black Swamp Fire began on April 27th around noon. After quick growth in the first several days, the fire's growth has slowed, but the nature of the fuels has kept the fire burning. The Black Swamp Fire is burning largely in a pocosin environment, comprised of dense, sandy peat soils. These fuels burn slowly and can only be extinguished by saturation with water. 

Firefighters continue working to meet this objective, pumping water into the fire area to flood the soils. Additionally, crews work to maintain containment lines and prevent growth of the fire footprint. Staff supporting this fire are from from the USDA Forest Service, North Carolina Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are currently assigned to the fire. 

In response to the fire, the National Forests in North Carolina today temporarily closed the Great Lake Boating Access Area and Sheep Ridge Wilderness Area, as well as portions of Great Lake Road, Seaborn Road and Holsten Hunter Road. Black Swamp Road and the Black Swamp OHV area remain closed.

Smoke from the fire can cause limited visibility and may impact local air quality. Drive slowly and use caution on roads where smoke may be settling. The public can check for air quality alerts at https://airquality.climate.ncsu.edu/ or https://fire.airnow.gov.

For the latest wildfire updates, follow the National Forests in North Carolina on Facebook at U.S. Forest Service - National Forests in North Carolina or visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/northcarolina.