Read July 11, 2023 update here. 

WILMINGTON, N.C. (June 19, 2023) - The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is releasing more details about the prescribed burn that took place on Tuesday, June 13 at the Green Swamp Game Land in Brunswick County.

On Tuesday, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission requested a permit from the North Carolina Forest Service to conduct a prescribed burn, an intentional burning of vegetation conducted under strict and specific circumstances.

Commission staff conducted a prescribed fire on approximately 400 acres of Green Swamp Game Land in Brunswick County, they continued to monitor the burn site and conducted mop-up operations.

Mop-up operations involve putting out the smoldering fuels, especially those near the burn unit boundaries.

The next day, Wednesday, June 14 the Commission continued monitoring the burn site and conducting mop-up operations.

When they left the site on Thursday, Commission staff discovered some of the burn site reignited. This was due to complex terrain within the swamp and difficulty of accessing heavily forested and overgrown areas. That’s when commission staff called the North Carolina Forest Service to assist with supplemental equipment.

By Friday afternoon, the fire had burned about 2,500 acres, with significant smoke in Brunswick and New Hanover counties. The NCFS said at the time that there were no injuries and no structures threatened.

“The N.C. Forest Service is mobilizing its Red Incident Management Team to take command of the Pulp Road Fire. Currently, operational resources working this fire include multiple engine and tractor plow strike teams as well as aircraft providing aerial support,” a Forest Service announcement from Friday states.