Eastern NC Wildfire

[brunota2003]

Well, there has been a wildfire ongoing in Northeastern NC for several days now. From what I've read, the only thing that will put it out is a flooding of the area the fire is burning in (i.e., a tropical system). It is in swamp lands, and the fire fighters have been working to put the fire out, however it is burning below ground as well. The area is rich in peat, and peat is flammable...so the firefighters can get the above ground flames put out, but it does not put out the below ground fire. The ground is so hot, you cannot walk on it.

Dense Smoke Advisories and Marine Weather Statements (fire is adjacent to the Albemarle and Pamilco Sounds) have been flying off the wall, here is the latest batch as of 7:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday, June 11th:

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
718 PM EDT WED JUN 11 2008

NCZ029-044-079-091-093-120900-
/O.EXB.KMHX.SM.Y.0003.000000T0000Z-080612T1400Z/
MARTIN-PITT-GREENE-LENOIR-CRAVEN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WILLIAMSTON...ROBERSONVILLE...
GREENVILLE...SNOW HILL...HOOKERTON...KINSTON...NEW BERN...
HAVELOCK
718 PM EDT WED JUN 11 2008

...DENSE SMOKE ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EDT THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY HAS ISSUED
A DENSE SMOKE ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EDT
THURSDAY.

AS THE FLOW BEHIND A WEAK COLD FRONT HAS SHIFTED TO THE NORTHEAST
AND EAST...SMOKE FROM A LARGE WILDFIRE OVER NORTHERN
HYDE...SOUTHERN TYRRELL...AND SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES HAS
SPREAD SOUTH AND WEST INTO THE COASTAL PLAIN OF EASTERN NORTH
CAROLINA TODAY. VISIBILITIES IN MANY LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN REDUCED
TO 1 TO 2 MILES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN THE SMOKE. THE
VISIBILITIES WILL DROP EVEN FURTHER TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS IN MANY
SPOTS OVERNIGHT AS A NOCTURNAL TEMPERATURE INVERSION AND LIGHT
WINDS FORCE THE SMOKE TO SPREAD OUT ALONG THE EARTHS SURFACE AND
MIX WITH FOG WHICH IS ALSO EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. TRAVELING ALONG
PORTIONS OF HIGHWAYS 258...11 AND 17...AS WELL AS MANY LOCAL ROADS
IN THE ADVISORY AREA WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS OVERNIGHT DUE TO THE
DENSE SMOKE AND FOG.

PEOPLE WITH RESPIRATORY AILMENTS SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS DUE TO THE
WIDESPREAD SMOKE.

A DENSE SMOKE ADVISORY MEANS THAT WILDFIRES WILL PRODUCE
DENSE SMOKE...WHICH WILL LEAD TO VERY POOR VISIBILITIES. IF
DRIVING... SLOW DOWN...USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS...AND LEAVE PLENTY OF
DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU IN CASE A SUDDEN STOP IS NEEDED.


And the other set:

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
718 PM EDT WED JUN 11 2008

NCZ045>047-080-081-094-120900-
/O.EXT.KMHX.SM.Y.0003.000000T0000Z-080612T1400Z/
WASHINGTON-TYRRELL-MAINLAND DARE-BEAUFORT-MAINLAND HYDE-PAMLICO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PLYMOUTH...COLUMBIA...WASHINGTON...
RIVER ROAD...ORIENTAL...ALLIANCE...BAYBORO...ARAPAHOE...
MINNESOTT BEACH...VANDEMERE...STONEWALL
718 PM EDT WED JUN 11 2008

...DENSE SMOKE ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EDT THURSDAY...

THE DENSE SMOKE ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EDT
THURSDAY.

SMOKE FROM A LARGE WILDFIRE OVER NORTHERN MAINLAND HYDE...SOUTHERN
TYRRELL AND SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES WILL CONTINUE TO
DRIFT SOUTHWEST OVER MOST OF MAINLAND HYDE COUNTY AND INTO
PORTIONS OF BEAUFORT AND PAMLICO COUNTIES TONIGHT AND EARLY
THURSDAY MORNING. VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE
QUARTER MILE IN MANY SPOTS OVERNIGHT AS A NOCTURNAL TEMPERATURE
INVERSION AND LIGHT WINDS FORCE THE SMOKE TO SPREAD OUT ALONG THE
EARTHS SURFACE AND MIX WITH FOG WHICH IS ALSO EXPECTED TO DEVELOP.
TRAVELING ALONG PORTIONS OF HIGHWAYS 264...94 AND 17...AS WELL AS
MANY LOCAL ROADS IN THE ADVISORY AREA WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS
OVERNIGHT DUE TO THE DENSE SMOKE AND FOG.

PEOPLE WITH RESPIRATORY AILMENTS SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS DUE TO THE
WIDESPREAD SMOKE.

I tell you, the smoke around here today was fairly dense (not like it is further north), but to the point you walk outside and start coughing and the smell of wood burning was noticed today as well. Cherry Point reported visibilites down to ~2.5 miles for periods of time, with areas further north even worse. According to the statements today, those visibilites are supposed to drop below a mile tonight. No surprise about the fire, it has been really dry and HOT recently.

[brunota2003]

More info about the fire:

Wildfire Preparations
Eastern NC - 6/10/2008
The massive wildfire has now charred more than 36,000 acres across three counties, and it is still less than half contained.

Strong winds Tuesday afternoon pushed the fire farther into the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.

D.O.T. crews dropped off road closed signs in anticipation of the fire reaching Highway 94.

Many of the people who live in the area are also taking precautions, and keeping up with the fire's progress by watching the news.

Some are getting ready to evacuate.

The firefighters who were based at Camp Mattamuskeet have been sent to eight different staging areas around the fire, so if the flames do get close to any of the homes, they will be just a few minutes away.

Forestry crews still have about 20 miles of containment lines to plow before the fire is completely cordoned off.

So far, it has cost more than $1 million to fight the flames.

Smoke Invades New Counties
Eastern NC - 6/11/2008
Smoke from the aggressive wildfire in Hyde, Washington, and Tyrrell counties is now disrupting lives all over eastern North Carolina.

Dense smoke advisories were in effect in several counties Wednesday, after a dramatic wind shift pushed smoke from the fire southwest.

People who are outdoors should pay attention to their breathing patterns, and if they start to feel short of breath, they should go inside.

If they feel tightness in the chest and shortness of breath, they should call their doctor or urgent care.

If the smoke gets inside the home, and they are short of breath, use an emergency inhaler if one is on hand.

Just about anywhere east of U.S. 17 and north of Havelock was under a dense smoke advisory until 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The wildfire has now burned more than 42,000.

[Tstormwatcher]

The smoke was pretty thick on base and around town today.

[tropicana]

Raleigh NC had a mention of some patchy smoke in their forecast as well I saw.

[NC George]

We had really thick smoke earlier Wednesday, with visibility of less than a mile in Greenville, NC in the afternoon/early evening. The smoke somewhat dissipated in the early night, but by midnight had returned. Smell of smoke has been around since Tuesday morning. Greenville is approximately 65 miles west of the actual fire. We got a shot of smoke last Thursday, too, when the seabreeze managed to push it this way for a couple of hours.

Here's what I find interesting: Southwesterly winds pumped up the heat here to a week of 99-100 degree temps, but blew the smoke towards the coast. Now a high pressure is to the north of us, the winds have shifted to coming from the east, and now the temps have dropped by 10 degrees, but we are getting smoke. We can't win!

[brunota2003]

Nope, and the Dense Smoke Advisories have been reissued until 5 pm.

[brunota2003]

Man oh man, we came really close today to having this whole area go up like a Roman Candle! According to one firefighter, within ten minutes:


Motorists help contain grass fire

Quick-thinking drivers helped keep a small grass fire from getting out of control and spreading into the Croatan National Forest Thursday afternoon, according to firefighters.

The fire broke out around 2 p.m. on Lake Road just on the Craven County side of its border with Carteret County.

Firefighter Kenny Weiss, of the Newport Volunteer Fire Department, said that when his truck arrived motorists had stopped and were attempting to put the fire out.

"There were some bystanders that were beating it back with their jackets. They kept it in check anyway," Weiss said. "This had the potential to get into the woods.

An area about half the size of a football field along a ditch burned, said Joe Smith, Newport assistant fire chief.

"Another 10 minutes and it would have gotten into the woods," he said "There's not another fire break between here and Highway 58. We got lucky this time."

James H. Cherry, district fire management officer with the Croatan National Forest, expressed relief that the fire had not jumped into the short pines just a few feet away from the ditch.

"If they had not put it out, it had the project potential that was very high, which means we'd be bringing everybody in here to fight it," Cherry said.

A cause of the fire has not been determined.

Source: http://www.havenews.com/news/fire_4126_ ... ounty.html

[lurkey]

Raleigh NC had a mention of some patchy smoke in their forecast as well I saw.

patchy smoke, my a**. I'm getting headaches. The smoke is reaching all the way to Greensboro. Co-workers from Roxboro and Mebane are reporting smoke and it was hazy (b/c of the smoke) in Durham all day.


ETA: Air quality is CODE RED for the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel He .errr . . . Hill) through Friday.

[NC George]

Good news for Greenville, NC this evening. For some reason, the smoke suddenly dissipated around 7-8pm, it has stayed clear since then.

[brunota2003]

The wind is starting to shift and by tomorrow, the wind should start blowing the smoke off the coast. Lucky timing, too, as Graduation is tomorrow

[NC George]

Smoke was really thick this morning in Pitt County, with visibility of less than 1 mile, but around 3 pm the smoke suddenly started dissipating again.

[lurkey]

Clearing up in the Triangle area . . . almost no smoke in Durham or South Raleigh, but still hazy in North Raleigh. . .

[CrazyC83]

That area is sparsely populated, correct?

[brunota2003]

Yes, thank goodness, but there still are homes threatened. The crews started performing a 22,000 acre burnout yesterday to hopefully prevent the fire from jumping one of the highways and from approaching the nearby homes.

[tomboudreau]

Any new word on the fires down that way? My sister and brother-in laws live in Greenville and are currently up in Pennsylvania visiting this week and next. I'm just wondering how the smoke is down there, as I know the fires are burning to there east. Has the smoke start clearing up?

[Stephanie]

This past weekend, the smoke came up the Jersey shoreline. There were times when people said that it was hard to see the casino skyline!

I hope that the situation is getting better down there.

[brunota2003]

Yes, the smoke is mainly thick only right around the fire now. Last I heard on Wednesday was that the fire is currently 70% contained, definitely good news! Also, it is another reason why the smoke has died down a lot.

[HarlequinBoy]

We've had periodic air quality alerts lately. The Goldstrike Tower and the resorts skyline is obscured.

[Stephanie]

Yes, the smoke is mainly thick only right around the fire now. Last I heard on Wednesday was that the fire is currently 70% contained, definitely good news! Also, it is another reason why the smoke has died down a lot.

That's good to hear!