Single Publication

NEW BERN, N.C., May 17, 2025 – Firefighters on the Black Swamp Fire on the Croatan National Forest have achieved 85% containment. The fire remains at 950-acre footprint. A team of 84 personnel from several agencies are currently assigned to the fire.

Yesterday, pumps and sprinklers ran all day, continuing to saturate the northern end of the fire area. This effort will continue daily until the deep organic soil is fully saturated and no more heat is detected. Heavy equipment finished improving ditches on the north end of No Name Road. Crews also worked on repairing roads utilized by firefighters during suppression by grading and installing erosion control fabric.

Today, warmer and sunny weather is forecasted. Pumps will continue to apply water to the northern end of the fire to further saturate soils, limiting risk of fire growth as fuels dry. Ditch improvements will continue today on the south side of Moccasin Lane. Roads have dried enough to continue creating a fuel break on Long Lake Road and grading roads around the fire perimeter. These improvements help to limit the impacts of suppression efforts on the environment and will aid in the response to future fires in the area.

The public is reminded to abide by all posted closures, keeping firefighter and public safety in mind. Closures remain in effect for Black Swamp Road, the Black Swamp OHV area, Great Lake Boating Access Area and Sheep Ridge Wilderness Area, as well as portions of Great Lake Road, Seaborn Road and Holston Hunter Road.

For the latest wildfire updates, follow the National Forests in North Carolina on Facebook at U.S. Forest Service - National Forests in North Carolina or visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/northcarolina

Smoke from the fire can cause limited visibility and may impact local air quality. Please drive slowly and use caution on roads where smoke may be settling. Check for air quality alerts at https://airquality.climate.ncsu.edu/ or https://fire.airnow.gov.

The USDA Forest Service is working in close partnership with state and federal agencies, including the North Carolina Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission and the National Park Service.