A large woods fire in southeastern Cumberland County has burned an estimated 250 to 300 acres and was about 60% contained Wednesday afternoon, according to a county news release.
The N.C. Forest Service sent bulldozers to dig containment lines, commonly known as fire breaks, to keep the fire from spreading.
“The fire is still burning,” said forester Michael Good of the Forest Service’s District 6.
The Vander and Cedar Creek fire departments were dispatched to the fire at 4918 Dudley Road in eastern Cumberland County about 4 p.m. Tuesday, the news release said.
Ten homes in the area were evacuated. One structure sustained minor damage, but no homes were destroyed, despite some news reports to the contrary, the release said. No injuries were reported.
Heavy smoke will remain in the area for days, the release said. Emergency Services and firefighters are monitoring the area, and drivers are advised to use caution on the roads.
More than 60 emergency responders helped fight the fire from the Vander, Cedar Creek, Beaver Dam, Stedman, Grays Creek Station 18, Bethany, Eastover, Cotton, Godwin-Falcon, and Wade fire departments in Cumberland County and Ammon Fire Department in Bladen County.
Also responding were Cumberland County Emergency Management, the Cumberland County Fire Marshal’s Office, N.C. Forest Service, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, N.C. Highway Patrol and N.C. Department of Transportation.
Good said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. He said Tuesday’s strong winds and a sharp drop in humidity contributed to the large size of the woods fire.
The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement Wednesday warning of increased fire danger for Cumberland and surrounding counties, with winds from the north and northeast sustained at 10 to 15 mph with gusts as high as 15 to 25 mph.
The winds, combined with the low relative humidity levels and dry conditions will increase the risk of new and spreading wildfires, the news release said.
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