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Officials optimistic that fire is slowing
Firefighters’ progress is strong
By CLAUD HODGES
Senior Reporter
Sunday may have been the turning point of the Evans Road fire.
“It looks like this fire is going to just set now,” said Jody Brady on Sunday. “Unless we have a major wind event, we’ll continue to beef up the fire lines and getting water on this ground fire.”
The massive fire has consumed more than 41,000 acres in Hyde, Washington and Tyrrell counties.
Nearly 600 personnel are supporting the fight.
While it is officially 40 percent contained, officials seemed to be breathing a slight sigh of relief on Sunday.
“I don’t see it moving much anymore,” Brady said.
The fire started near the Ponzer community in Hyde County two weeks ago from a lightning strike. It grew and moved quickly into southeastern Washington County and marched toward Lake Phelps.
The fire worked itself between Lake Phelps and New Lake during its northeast progression during its first 10 days of life.
Brady said fire officials hope the head of the fire will settle in the swampy, marshy area in southwest Tyrrell County where it was Sunday.
“This fire will probably continue to burn to the end of the summer,” he said. “It is so difficult to put pocosin fires like this one out.”
He said several inches of almost continuous rain is needed to completely put the fire out.
“Not a hurricane, but a nice tropical storm would be great,” Brady said.
He said firefighters will continue to work on drowning the fire by flooding the ground with water from pumps from Lake Phelps, with possibly some from New Lake.
A cooperative effort of the N.C. Forest Service, volunteer fire departments from across the state, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and several other emergency agencies are working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in this huge effort to quell the fire.
Hyde County Emergency Management Coordinator Tony Spencer reported late Sunday that fire containment officials have given him some hope.
“Based upon the latest briefings and documents provided by the forest service, they believe that a good fire control line has been established in the New Lake area, which previously was impacting Waterway Landing,” Spencer said. “They also have flooded Heron Run canal in that area and perceive that the particular area is contained. That being said, Hyde County does not perceive a foreseeable need to effect any urgent evacuations, without a drastic change in circumstances.”
Spencer said that all previous advisories in Hyde County are lifted based upon this information.
“By no means should this imply the fire is under control or contained,” he said. “A state of emergency for Hyde County remains due to the long-term impact to include health concerns and agricultural impact. Unfortunately, I have been made aware of many hardships already incurred due to the fire event and it is now our focus to attempt mitigation of these until the fire situation is resolved or gets out of control.”
The state has assumed responsibility for provision of outside public safety resources, Spencer said.
“Most of the fire resources have been under the Forest Service’ request, with North Carolina Emergency Management setting up the base camp at Mattamuskeet for their use,” he said. “This task force assigned there will be downsized but continue due to potential threat in multiple communities in the region.”
Spencer said any extra emergency management service needs related to the fire will become the state’s responsibility at 7 a.m. today.
“Hyde County appreciates all the cooperative efforts of our partners in the effort to keep our residents safe and save the property of our taxpayers,” Spencer said. “As I have promised the residents of Waterway Landing, Hyde County will do whatever it can to help support a cooperative effort for effecting fire prevention measures for the area, as initiated last winter by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the N.C. Division of Forestry, and participated in by the Ponzer Fire Department and the Hyde County fire marshal. It is clear that the urgency of this has been enhanced.”
By CLAUD HODGES
Senior Reporter
Sunday may have been the turning point of the Evans Road fire.
“It looks like this fire is going to just set now,” said Jody Brady on Sunday. “Unless we have a major wind event, we’ll continue to beef up the fire lines and getting water on this ground fire.”
The massive fire has consumed more than 41,000 acres in Hyde, Washington and Tyrrell counties.
Nearly 600 personnel are supporting the fight.
While it is officially 40 percent contained, officials seemed to be breathing a slight sigh of relief on Sunday.
“I don’t see it moving much anymore,” Brady said.
The fire started near the Ponzer community in Hyde County two weeks ago from a lightning strike. It grew and moved quickly into southeastern Washington County and marched toward Lake Phelps.
The fire worked itself between Lake Phelps and New Lake during its northeast progression during its first 10 days of life.
Brady said fire officials hope the head of the fire will settle in the swampy, marshy area in southwest Tyrrell County where it was Sunday.
“This fire will probably continue to burn to the end of the summer,” he said. “It is so difficult to put pocosin fires like this one out.”
He said several inches of almost continuous rain is needed to completely put the fire out.
“Not a hurricane, but a nice tropical storm would be great,” Brady said.
He said firefighters will continue to work on drowning the fire by flooding the ground with water from pumps from Lake Phelps, with possibly some from New Lake.
A cooperative effort of the N.C. Forest Service, volunteer fire departments from across the state, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and several other emergency agencies are working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in this huge effort to quell the fire.
Hyde County Emergency Management Coordinator Tony Spencer reported late Sunday that fire containment officials have given him some hope.
“Based upon the latest briefings and documents provided by the forest service, they believe that a good fire control line has been established in the New Lake area, which previously was impacting Waterway Landing,” Spencer said. “They also have flooded Heron Run canal in that area and perceive that the particular area is contained. That being said, Hyde County does not perceive a foreseeable need to effect any urgent evacuations, without a drastic change in circumstances.”
Spencer said that all previous advisories in Hyde County are lifted based upon this information.
“By no means should this imply the fire is under control or contained,” he said. “A state of emergency for Hyde County remains due to the long-term impact to include health concerns and agricultural impact. Unfortunately, I have been made aware of many hardships already incurred due to the fire event and it is now our focus to attempt mitigation of these until the fire situation is resolved or gets out of control.”
The state has assumed responsibility for provision of outside public safety resources, Spencer said.
“Most of the fire resources have been under the Forest Service’ request, with North Carolina Emergency Management setting up the base camp at Mattamuskeet for their use,” he said. “This task force assigned there will be downsized but continue due to potential threat in multiple communities in the region.”
Spencer said any extra emergency management service needs related to the fire will become the state’s responsibility at 7 a.m. today.
“Hyde County appreciates all the cooperative efforts of our partners in the effort to keep our residents safe and save the property of our taxpayers,” Spencer said. “As I have promised the residents of Waterway Landing, Hyde County will do whatever it can to help support a cooperative effort for effecting fire prevention measures for the area, as initiated last winter by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the N.C. Division of Forestry, and participated in by the Ponzer Fire Department and the Hyde County fire marshal. It is clear that the urgency of this has been enhanced.”
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tunne rat wrote on Jul 6, 2009 8:55 PM:
that is the biggest propganda word that every came out of butterfields and rino jones mouth in the past hundred years .
just 2 water boys for the obama socalist party , and a hand full of red necks that dont have a clue about whast they are talking about . "