CRESWELL, N.C. (WNCT) – The NC Forest Service reports the wildfire that started in Tyrrell County on March 24 is now 100% contained.
Consistent water penetration into the fire area over the last several days has allowed firefighting crews to make significant progress on the Last Resort Fire, NC Forest Service officials said. Firefighting personnel reached full containment Thursday. The fire reached 5,280 acres in size since it began on March 24.
Officials said after moving a combined 438 million gallons of water from Phelps Lake and a freshwater canal along Seagoing Road, the N.C. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ceased water pumping operations from nearby Phelps Lake. Officials said crews will continue to pull water from the seagoing canal to maintain current water levels.
Significant resources will demobilize on Friday as the unified command (UC) structure will downsize to a Type 4 Incident Management Team. The remaining resources will continue patrolling fire lines and monitoring water levels for the next several weeks to ensure the fire stays within its current footprint.
There are still no injuries and no structures threatened at this time. The cause of the fire was determined to be a debris burn on private land that escaped containment.
A temporary flight restriction remains in effect for the Last Resort Fire. The TFR restricts all civilian aircraft, manned and unmanned, within five miles of the fire. The flight restriction remains in place until aviation support is no longer needed.
For information updates, visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ncpor-last-resort-fire.
