The primary objective for the N.C. Forest Service Incident Management Team is public and firefighter safety.
PLEASE BE AWARE: Wildland fire engines and large equipment continue to be on roads in the fire area and traveling to and from assignments. Please use caution while traveling the NC Highway 87 corridor around Boiling Spring Lakes.
The N.C. Forest Service Incident Management Team will assume command of the Sunset Road Fire today at noon. Firefighters continue fighting the wildfire and are closely monitoring the fire perimeter for spot fires. On Saturday morning the wildfire grew due to spotting over containment lines, causing the fire to spread. The Sunset Road Fire is burning in Boiling Spring Lakes in Brunswick County. No homes have been destroyed as a result of this wildfire.
Weather and Fire Behavior: A cold front passing through the area overnight and this morning provided scattered showers and roughly six-tenths of accumulated rainfall over the fire area. Before the rain event, active fire was seen in the tree canopy during the early morning hours. Deep, smoldering organic soil also has potential to hold fire below the soil surface causing difficulties in extinguishing. Flame potential or reburn in pockets of unburned fuel cannot be ruled out.
Acreage: 1,500 acres | Containment: 10%
Yesterday, firefighter crews continued water handling and dozer operations to create additional fire line and reinforce existing fire line. Aircraft from the N.C. Forest Service aviation fleet supplied water drops on the fire. Though fire lines have been placed around the entirety of the fire, erratic winds and regionally dry conditions have made containment of the fire difficult. Percent containment represents sections of fire line that pose no escape risk without further action from firefighters.
Air quality: A Code Orange air quality alert has been issued for Brunswick County through midnight Sunday morning. Information on current air quality data for North Carolina is available at https://www.airnow.gov/.
Closures: As of this morning, all roads in and around Boiling Spring Lakes have been reopened for travel. Motorists are encouraged to use extreme caution when traveling around the area as smoky conditions persist and may linger for days around the area of the fire. All mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders have been lifted. The emergency shelter located at South Brunswick High School remains open and available for use. Updates to closures and shelter information can be found on the Brunswick County website at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/CivicAlerts.
Drones: The public is reminded to keep drones away from wildfires. While drones provide unique opportunities for aerial video and imagery of wildfire activity, they are unauthorized. Flying a drone near or around a wildfire compromises the safety of pilots and interferes with firefighting efforts.