Incident Publication

NEW BERN, N.C., May 1, 2025 – The Black Swamp Fire held at 950 acres with 60-percent containment overnight thanks to the ongoing suppression efforts on the Croatan National Forest. 

Eighty personnel from the USDA Forest Service, North Carolina Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, and the National Park Service are assigned to the fire. 

Wildland firefighters continue to use a variety of methods to combat the flames in the dense, swampy terrain. The objective remains to keep safety first and fight the fire aggressively as the southerly winds and sea breeze drive the fire. Firefighters will continue to soak spot fires and mop up within the containment lines as well as clear snags along Black Swamp Road. High-volume pumps and large sprinklers are drenching the smoldering and highly flammable peat and organic soil. Helicopters are supporting in suppression efforts by dumping between 650 and 800 gallons of water per bucket drop on the flames and cooling pockets of heat. Firefighters are deploying dozers, low ground pressure equipment, and hand tools to reinforce containment lines. Additional equipment and personnel have been ordered.

Closures remain in effect for Black Swamp Road, the Black Swamp OHV area, Great Lake Boating Access Area, Sheep Ridge Wilderness Area, and portions of Great Lake Road, Seaborn Road and Holston Hunter Road. 

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.

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. 

Fire officials on the Lolo National Forest may implement prescribed fire operations today, as weather and fuels conditions allow. 

Ninemile Ranger District:  Firefighters may burn up to 32 acres in the Frenchtown Face  project area, 2 miles North of the District Office.  Smoke may be visible from Huson.

Firefighters may also burn up to 68 acres in the South Fork Fish  project area, 9.5 miles northwest of Lolo Hot Springs.  Smoke may be visible from Lolo Hot Springs and surrounding areas.

Superior Ranger District: Firefighters will burn up to 15 acres in the South Fork Tamarack Creek area, 5 miles North of St. Regis.  Minimal smoke impacts are anticipated; however, smoke may be visible from Interstate 90 in the St. Regis area (see map below).  

Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District: Firefighters plan to conduct up to 50 acres of understory burning on the Two Short unit 22, six miles west of Thompson Falls.  Smoke may be visible from Thompson Falls. 

All prescribed fires are implemented in compliance with Montana air quality standards and coordinated with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the appropriate county health departments to reduce the impacts of smoke to neighbors, cooperators, and surrounding communities. For additional information on air quality, smoke management, and forecasts, see https://mi.airshedgroup.org/.

For more information on prescribed fire and fuels management on the Lolo National Forest visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/lolo/fire/prescribed-fire.

A prescribed burn in the Haycamp Mesa area, approximately 8 miles east-northeast of Dolores, CO, which was scheduled for May 2nd, has been postponed. After conducting a test fire, it was determined that conditions were too wet for a successful burn. This page will be updated when the planned burn is rescheduled. 

The targeted area is the northern portion of Unit 8 (north of 492 Rd, see attached map) about 537 acres. The area is within Montezuma County, consists of ponderosa pine and Gambel oak fuels.

The U.S. Forest Service Coronado National Forest's Douglas Ranger District issues a Temporary Occupancy and Use Area Order

Stronghold Fire Update for Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Today, crews will continue to go direct around parts of the fire’s edge, including along the southeast side, where they are working to tie in the line established along the east flank near the north portion of Cochise Stronghold Road. The eastern flank is the most active as it burns through heavy fuel, consisting of grass and brush components within Grapevine Canyon. Parts of that area are steep, rugged, and inaccessible by vehicle. Along the south side of the fire, resources are working to establish a contingency line, working up and over to the southwest flank and tying it in with Middlemarch Road. A contingency line acts as a backup or safety net if the fire jumps the main fireline. On the southwest side, within the Dragoons, the hotshot crews will hike in today and work in tandem with aviation resources, if necessary, going direct to establish hand line along the fire’s edge. The hotshot crews are working in steep and difficult terrain, making suppression efforts challenging. On Tuesday, crews were able to put line in on the northwest side of the fire in the Cochise Stronghold area. The fire is 22% contained along the north/northeast side. Overnight, three engines patrolled and monitored the fire’s perimeter, including within the communities and the western flank. 

Operations’ incident objectives include full suppression, firefighter and public safety, and minimal suppression impacts to state and federal lands, private residences, and transportation infrastructure. Approximately 240 personnel remain engaged working to protect homes to the northeast and east of the fire and securing the fire on the west side to keep it out of Stronghold Canyon East. Some hand crews and engines are conducting point protection around nearby homes and critical infrastructure within the fire’s perimeter. Other values at risk include recreation sites, livestock infrastructure, wildlife habitats, and watersheds. The fire was mapped on Tuesday at 2,138 acres with no new growth reported overnight. The fire remains under investigation. 

Eleven Type 6 engines, 1 Type 3 engine, 4 hotshot crews, 4 state hand crews, 6 water tenders, and an Air Attack platform remain assigned to the incident. Aircraft, including a helicopter, Single Engine Air Tankers, Large Air Tankers, and Very Large Air Tankers, remain available if requested. 

Evacuations and Closures: Multiple areas within the Sunsites-Pearce and Cochise communities remain in GO and SET status. The Stronghold Canyon area campgrounds and trailheads are closed due to the fire. For updates on evacuations, check with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office. 

Weather: Sunny with a high near 74. Light and west wind becoming west northwest 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Wednesday night, mostly clear with a low of 46. 

Safety: Due to aircraft use, a TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) is in place over the fire. Firefighting aircraft and drones are a dangerous combination. Drones in the area could lead to accidents or slow down wildfire suppression operations. If you fly…we can’t.

Today firefighters will conduct a pile burn at Wells Cabin, located in the northern part of the forest below Anthony Peak. Some smoke may be visible in the campground, but the piles are small and should consume relatively quickly. Prescribed fire operations are carefully monitored, and firefighters will conduct patrols following burning operations. 

This week Mendocino National Forest firefighters completed 3.5 acres of burning at the Chico Seed Orchard. Also this week, firefighters from the Upper Lake and Covelo Ranger Districts assisted on a prescribed burn led by Bureau of Land Management in the Black Forest near Soda Bay Road in Lake County. 

This collaboration included fire resources from BLM California Fire Information, CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit and Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance in an effort to reduce hazardous fuels and protect communities nestled in the unique forest ecosystem of Mt. Konocti, including Buckingham, Riviera Heights and Riviera West.

“Everyone is all in, making sure that this burn could be carried out when it’s safe. My profound gratitude for all the partners coming together, identifying that this project needed to happen and that it needed to happen this spring,” said Jessica Pyska, Lake County District 5 Supervisor while on scene at the Black Forest prescribed burn.

Over the next several weeks, MNF firefighters will look for opportunities to continue pile burning in the North Shore Restoration project on Long Valley Ridge, pending favorable weather conditions, burn windows and resource availability. The units are slash piles in areas that will be replanted with trees. Potentially 10 acres are planned for prescribed burning along Long Valley Ridge above Lakeview Campground.

With incoming cooler temperatures and possible precipitation today and tomorrow, firefighters on the Upper Lake & Covelo Ranger Districts are attempting to burn 16 acres of roadside piles in the North Shore Restoration project along Long Valley Ridge. The units are slash piles that will be replanted. 

Resources from North Shore Hogback Ridge Fuels Crew and CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit are assisting. Smoke impacts should be minimal. After ignitions are complete, firefighters will patrol the units over the weekend and mop-up any remaining heat next week.

The Dolores Ranger District conducted a prescribed burn in the Boggy Draw area off Forest Service System Road 532 (Cottonwood Road), approximately 16 miles Northeast of Dolores on Tuesday April 29th. Fire personnel continue to patrol the burn area. Residents may continue to see smoke in the coming days as unburned fuel is consumed.

Find updates on either the forest Facebook or Twitter accounts, links below.

The forests in Southwest Colorado are part of a fire-adapted ecosystem, which historically experienced frequent, low intensity fires on a large scale. Prescribed fire replicates that fire regime and increases the area on our landscape that has been burned at low and moderate conditions.