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Boiling Spring Lakes wildfire grows to about 1,369 acres; incident 10% contained, forestry says
Summary
State forestry briefed the commissioners on a fast‑moving wildfire near Boiling Spring Lakes that began Friday; about 1,369 acres were affected, the incident was 10% contained with a 73‑person incident management team, and crews warned of long‑running smoldering in deep organic soils.
Brunswick County officials received a field update from North Carolina Forest Service staff on a large wildfire that began near Boiling Spring Lakes over the prior weekend.
Allen Matthews, Cape Fear area ranger for the North Carolina Forest Service, told the board the incident had burned roughly 1,369 acres and was about 10% contained at the time of the briefing. A 73‑person incident management team had been assigned to the fire; county and mutual‑aid resources from multiple neighboring counties supported suppression efforts.
Staff and commissioners praised the rapid multiagency response and credited a rain event (staff measured about 0.6 inches at the scene) with helping firefighters gain containment and enabling crews to move in to secure lines on Sunday. Forestry officials cautioned that areas with deep organic soils can smolder underground for weeks or months, raising the risk of rekindle events during dry, windy periods. Crews reported localized flareups that could be extinguished quickly but recommended continued monitoring.
Commissioners asked for improved incident communications to the board and to share official email updates; Forestry staff offered to pass public information office notices to county leadership. The board did not take formal action; members directed staff to include after‑action followup and encouraged county emergency management and forestry to work on lessons learned and public outreach about wildfire risk and preparedness.
