A wildfire burning since Friday that has been blamed on an escaped debris burn on the mainland of northeastern North Carolina is now 45 percent contained, but smoke is expected to continue impacting various parts of the region.
Firefighting crews have continued to hold the Last Resort Fire to 5,200 acres in size in Tyrrell County.
The fire area received significant rainfall Sunday evening and into Monday morning, with some areas of the fire receiving up to one inch, according to the N.C. Forest Service.
The odor of smoke has wafted in the air across portions of the area since Friday night, and even as far away as northern Virginia, Washington D.C. and the Maryland suburbs on Monday.
Communities east of the fire in Columbia and Dare County can expect smoke impacts overnight Monday. Areas south of the fire area near Belhaven, Pantego and Scranton can expect smoke impacts early Tuesday morning.
Significant smoke is possible and may result in hazardous travel conditions into Tuesday morning. In the interest of safety, residents and commuters should allow for extra travel time or plan to take alternate routes.
Those commuting Tuesday morning along U.S. 64, U.S. 264, N.C. 99, N.C. 94 and adjacent roads should remain alert and attentive to signage. Road closures may be implemented as needed.
Motorists throughout the region should be aware of the possibility of suddenly reduced visibility. Drivers have reported heavy pockets of smoke in Tyrrell, Hertford and Gates counties, and moderate smoke in Currituck and Camden counties.
Keep these safety tips in mind if travel is necessary in foggy/smoky conditions:
- Slow down. Allow extra time to reach your destination.
- Make your vehicle visible to others in front of you and behind you. Use your low-beam headlights. Use fog lights if you have them.
- Never use your high-beam lights. High-beam lights cause glares, making it more difficult to see what’s ahead of you on the road.
- Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or change in traffic patterns.
- To ensure you are staying in the proper lane, follow the lines on the road with your eyes.
- In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business and stop.
- If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except your hazard flashing lights, set the emergency break, and take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the taillights are not illuminated so that other drivers don’t mistakenly run into you.
The public is reminded to keep drones away from wildfires. While drones provide unique opportunities for aerial video and imagery of wildfire activity, they are unauthorized. Flying a drone near or around a wildfire compromises the safety of pilots and interferes with firefighting efforts.
For information updates, visit www.ncforestservice.gov/fire_
