- Tornado Watch for Coastal Plains Sunday evening
- Two people, including a child, dead after Oklahoma tornadoes; governor declares state of emergency
- Build your hurricane season preparedness kits this tax-free weekend
- Residents begin going through the rubble after tornadoes hammer parts of Nebraska and Iowa
- Midwest tornadoes flatten homes in Nebraska suburbs and leave trails of damage in Iowa
Brunswick County wildfire causes air quality issues in parts of NC
SUPPLY, N.C. — WECT reports an ongoing wildfire at the Green Swamp Game Land in Supply is causing smoke, road closures and air quality issues in southeastern portions of the state.
Status of the wildfire
As of 9:14 p.m. on Sunday, June 18, the wildfire was at 16,355 acres with containment increased to 10 percent. According to the North Carolina Forest Service, firefighters conducted mop-up operations along the fire perimeter, mitigating snags, extinguishing smoldering pockets and monitoring for spot fires.
NCFS said at the time that there were 80 personnel working the fire, including multiple tractor plow strike teams and aerial support for firefighters on the ground.
Significant smoke is expected for communities in and around Supply and lingering smoke may mix with fog.
Low visibility has closed down part of N.C. Highway 211 from Little Macedonia to Camp Branch until Tuesday. Travelers can loop around the closure by taking Camp Branch, Makatoka and Little Macedonia road. Significant smoke is expected along N.C. 211, which may result in challenging travel conditions. Drivers should remain alert and cautious.
Air quality in southeastern NC
On Monday morning, the N.C. Division of Air Quality set the forecast as a code orange for Brunswick, Pender, Bladen and Columbus counties for the day. New Hanover County remains yellow as the wind carries the smoke away from the county.
Code Orange means that the air is unhealthy for groups that are sensitive to smoke. Older adults, younger children and people with respiratory conditions like asthma are advised to limit heavy or lengthy exertion outdoors, according to the DEQ.
The smoky conditions did not stop everyone from going outside Thursday. Dylan Stott was fishing at Belville Riverwalk Park when he noticed the smell.
“I’ve been noticing, like, ashes coming out of that dock over here, I didn’t know what it was. I thought people were smoking,” said Stott. “And if you look back there, you can see nothing but smoke.”
Lauren Lauritson was visiting the park with her family amid the haze.
“There was a bunch of debris falling into the water, which is sad. But now it’s really smoky and I just want to go inside,” Lauritson said. “I would never expect this much smoke and everything, but I do love coming to this park all the time.”