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4:36 p.m. • 5-19-13

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Posted: September 18, 2008

Wildfire contained, not out

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Raleigh, N.C. — A large wildfire consuming more than 40,000 acres at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is completely contained but not out, state forestry officials said Thursday.

A lightning strike sparked the conflagration on June 1. Since then the fire, also referred to as the Evans Road Fire, has burned 40,704 acres and cost $18 million.

Some hotspots still remain inside the fire line, District Forester Ed Christopher said.

More than 2 billion gallons of water have been used on the fire so far, Christopher said. The water caused some ground flooding, mostly to private property.

Fifteen firefighters remain assigned to the fire to work on erosion and sedimentation control.

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4 COMMENTS

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Latest Comments

I am from this area and the last time a fire broke out in the early 80's it burned for 2 years. Once peat starts it will burn until it burns itself out, unless you get about 10 inches or so of rain in 24 hours.

patrick85ed
September 19, 2008 10:37 a.m.

wow, i can't believe this fire is still going...i remember we had a lot of smoke in the area over a month ago from it...i figured all the rain we had the past month and a half put it all out.....guess they didnt get as much rain in the sandhills?

u_mad
September 19, 2008 10:18 a.m.

If you read the article you'll see the fire started June 1 - so if you've never heard of the Evans Road fire maybe you should read the news a little more.

rangerchef
September 19, 2008 8:36 a.m.

Hmmm...dateline of Raleigh.

(looking around outside)

I see nothing that looks like a 40,000 acre fire.

(looks on Wake County map)

Nope. nothing on there that says Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.

(checks for something called Evans Road)

Ah ha! Finds one in Cary, but I was just through there yesterday and didn't notice any major distruction from wildfire.

Perhaps this is not happening in Raleigh. So then, WHY IS THERE A RALEIGH DATELINE?

How about next time maybe giving us a little hint just where in North Carolina this is happening?