The North Carolina Forest Service Incident Management Team continues to prioritize public and firefighter safety as they manage the Sunset Road Fire in Brunswick County. Motorists are advised to exercise caution due to the presence of wildland fire engines and large equipment on roads within the fire area.
The fire, which has been burning since May 2 in Boiling Spring Lakes, spans 1,331 acres with a containment level of 74%. Rain showers on Friday brought relief, allowing firefighters to address persistent hot spots in the northeast corner and southern tip of the fire. Incident Commander Brad Allen noted progress: “We’ve made progress by leaps and bounds in the past couple of days with our dozer and water handling operations. We’ve been able to send some of our resources back to their home units, but we are not turning our backs on this fire just yet. We’ve still got some cleanup work to do.”
To locate remaining heat sources, a drone equipped with infrared technology will conduct another survey today. Despite increased containment, no homes have been destroyed.
Weather forecasts predict unsettled conditions near the coast through Sunday due to an approaching cold front. An area of low pressure is expected over the Southeast early next week, possibly bringing significant rainfall.
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in place from ground level up to 3,000 feet until further notice. The restriction prohibits drone flights within designated areas to ensure pilot safety and prevent interference with firefighting efforts.
