Firefighters in Hyde County continue to face highly challenging conditions as they battle a persistent wildfire near Lake Mattamuskeet.
The North Carolina Forest Service reports that the Rose Bay Canal Fire has now scorched 455 acres and remains 20% contained. The blaze is burning off U.S. Highway 264, southwest of the state prison.
Officials said the flames are fueled by bone-dry vegetation and deep, organic pocosin soil. This soil is causing the fire to smolder underground, making it incredibly difficult for crews to establish permanent containment lines.
Nearly 70 emergency personnel are on the scene from the state, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Weyerhaeuser. Crews are using heavy bulldozer equipment and high-volume irrigation systems to hold the western perimeter ahead of shifting winds.
Neighbors and workers at the nearby Hyde Correctional Facility are warned to expect heavy smoke. Haze has already drifted more than 50 miles into parts of the Outer Banks. Drivers on Highway 264 must prepare for low visibility and slow down through the area.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
