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NC Forest Service says Currituck saw 36 reportable wildfires and protected $14 million in property last fiscal year
Summary
Currituck County’s North Carolina Forest Service ranger reported 62 total calls in the fiscal year — 36 reportable wildfires burning about 311 acres — with no homes lost and an estimated $14 million in property value protected; a March 20 marsh wildfire required helicopter water drops.
Will Rose, Currituck County ranger for the North Carolina Forest Service, presented the agency’s annual report to the Board of Commissioners, summarizing last fiscal year’s wildland‑fire activity, forest management assistance, community outreach, and pest‑management priorities in Currituck County.
Rose said the office responded to 62 total calls during the year, 36 of which were reportable wildfires. Combined, those fires burned approximately 311 acres. Due to firefighting response and cooperation with volunteer and paid county fire departments, no homes were destroyed and an estimated $14,000,000 in property value was protected, Rose said.
A notable incident occurred March 20, 2025, when a 276‑acre marsh‑grass wildfire behind the Currituck Club golf course required aviation support. Rose described conducting 32 helicopter drops that delivered 6,720 gallons of water to suppress the fire, and he thanked pilots and local crews for their response.
On forest management, Rose said the NC Forest Service issued seven verbal assists and seven written management plans covering roughly 80 acres and inspected a 30‑acre logging job three times with no water‑quality violations. The office also participated in 16 education and outreach events and plans to attend Currituck County’s Plains and Plows Day on Oct. 11.
Regarding pests, Rose said federal funding shortfalls prompted postponement of a 2025 spring treatment for spongy moth (formerly referred to in the transcript as “gypsy moth”) at Carova Beach; the treatment is planned for 2026 pending federal funding. Currituck County has been under spongy moth quarantine since 1989; loggers must inspect outgoing timber products.
Rose also highlighted cooperation with local fire departments, training, grant assistance for volunteer departments, and the Forest Service’s capacity to help acquire apparatus through federal partners.
Why it matters: The report documents active wildfire risk in Currituck County, ongoing forest‑health monitoring and limits on federally funded pest treatments. Officials said continued coordination with local fire departments and interagency partners remains essential to protect homes and infrastructure.
What commissioners asked: Board members thanked the ranger for quick responses to recent fires and for training and support to volunteer departments. Commissioners also noted bear‑crossing signs installed by NCDOT on a stretch between Coinjock and Grandy and asked staff to continue outreach and monitoring activities.
