Fire crews in Hyde County have increased containment of the Rose Bay Canal Fire to 35 percent as the blaze reaches 662 acres.
The wildfire, which has been burning near Lake Mattamuskeet since June 2, has proven exceptionally difficult to control due to deep, underground-smoldering pocosin soil. Officials note that much of the recent acreage growth was intentional, resulting from planned strategic burns designed to starve the main fire of vegetative fuel.
Ground crews from the North Carolina Forest Service and Greenville Fire/Rescue are currently using heavy equipment and infrared mapping drones to douse active hotspots.
A smoke advisory remains in effect for surrounding communities and the Hyde Correctional Facility.
