Firefighters are gaining ground against several erratic wildfires fueled by extreme summer heat and dry conditions across eastern North Carolina.
In Brunswick County, weekend rainfall has helped improve containment lines at the Quarry Road Fire near Shallotte. All local road closures and mandatory evacuation orders have officially been lifted.
However, smokey conditions persist along the coast. At the Onslow/Duplin County line, crews are still tackling the Chicken Farm Lane wildfire, which has scorched 164 acres and is currently 75 percent contained.
Meanwhile, further north in Hyde County, crews continue to battle the stubborn Rose Bay Canal Fire southwest of the state prison. The 667-acre blaze is 83 percent contained, but deep organic soils are causing the fire to smolder underground, generating a persistent haze over area communities.
Forestry officials remind people that flying recreational drones near active fire zones is illegal and will ground emergency aircraft.
