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Yesterday’s weather brought 1¼ inches of rain across the fire with the highest amount of rainfall in the center. The next few days will be dry and windy. Although recent rains have raised the water table, fine live and dead vegetation will quickly dry and may be susceptible for ignition so smoke may be visible in areas where it has not been seen for several days. Containment has increased to 49% and the Southern Area Type I Red Team is in transition to a smaller Type III Team, the Southern Area Grey Team. The Grey Team has arrived and will shadow the Red Team until they assume command of the fire tomorrow. The Red Teams appreciates the support you’ve given us and wishes a good assignment for the Grey Team.  

Great Lakes Fire: The Great Lakes Fire, located within Croatan National Forest, one mile South-Southeast of New Bern, started on April 19th. The fire is suspected to be human-caused and is still under investigation. It is burning in pocosin swamp and mixed fuels within and around the footprint of the 2012 Dad Fire, which burned roughly 21,331 acres. Previous prescribed burning by the U. S. Forest Service helped slow fire spread by reducing the amount of burnable vegetation. No structures have been lost and none are currently threatened.    

Acreage: 32,400 acres Containment: 49%  

Personnel and Equipment: 200 total personnel; 2 helicopters, 8 Type-6 engines, 5 Type-2 tractor plow units, 1 drone, 1 fixed wing aircraft, 1 grader, 2 excavators and 1 ambulance.  

Yesterday: With the use of drones, firefighters identified heat along Black Swamp Road in the western area of the fire. Firefighters mopped up these areas and graded Black Swamp Road for fire access. Road crews completed putting rock on Bender Road and continued to rock Mattocks Road. Drone pilots completed missions flying on the northeastern portion of the fire and used infrared technology to monitor heat on the spot fire. No heat was identified. Firefighters installed 29 sandbags to reinforce the water control structure on the southern edge of the fire.  

Today: Firefighters continue to patrol and monitor the fire. Road crews received 10 more loads of gravel to rock Mattocks Road. Firefighters continue to mop up along Black Swamp Road. They will continue to monitor and mop up throughout the fire as weather conditions become dry and windy. Road crews are moving a grader from Black Swamp Road to Great Lakes Road to help improve Great Lakes Road.  

Weather and Fire Behavior: Today’s weather is expected to bring clear and sunny skies with zero chance of rain. Windy and dry conditions are expected with strong gusts of southwesterly winds 25-30 mph. Temperatures will be in the high 60s and low 70s with relative humidity of 30-35%. Dry weather and windy conditions are expected through Wednesday.  

As surface fuels dry out, the potential for fine surface fuels to ignite and burn increases. Peat fires are difficult to put out and may burn for long periods of time. The southern portion of the fire will continue to smolder and burn.   

Air quality: Information on current air quality data for North Carolina is at https://www.airnow.gov/.   

Closures: Road closures on County Line Road and Catfish Lake Road remain in effect. Forest Service Road 203 is also closed due to fire operations. Updates to road closures surrounding the fire is at https://drivenc.gov/.  

Temporary Flight Restriction: Note: The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place over the fire area has changed in that the hours of the restriction are now between 6 AM to midnight. Information is at the Federal Aviation Administration website. A flight restriction is necessary to protect aerial firefighting operations. If there are intrusions into the Temporary Flight Restrictions, we must stop aerial operations.  

We have had many offers of donations to firefighters. We are grateful for your support, but currently do not have the capacity for processing and storing donations on site. In lieu of donations to the Great Lakes Fire please consider making a monetary donation to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.