Since it is a major concern of many vacationers, we will bring timely updates on the Evans Road wildfire. Currently the fire has burned over 41,000 acres. Current firefighting efforts include water being pumped from Phelps Lake and New Lake into the burned area. This is accomplished using 35 large volume pumps. These pumps move almost 92 thousand gallons of water per minute. Currently the pumps are running 24 hours per day.

This morning the smoke was the lightest in Kill Devil Hills since it first started arriving on the Outer Banks. If your wondering how much the fire will affect your Outer Banks vacation, the answer so far is not at all. Sometimes you will smell a little smoke and see some in the morning but by late morning all traces are usually gone.

Here is information on the Evans Road Fire from Inciweb.org

Basic Information:
Incident Type Wildland Fire
Cause Lightning
Date of Origin 06/01/2008 at 120 hrs.
Location 15 miles NW of Fairfield and 7 miles S of Creswell in Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties, NC

Current Situation:
Total Personnel 465
Size 41,060 acres
Percent Contained 60%
Fuels Involved 4 Chaparral (6 ft) Primary fuel model is model 4 (high pocosin)

Fire Behavior: Slow spreading surface fire with occasional Torching, Creeping, Backing, and smoldering. Extensive Smoldering Ground Fire in Deep Organic Soils

Significant Events: The fire continues to progress further to the North and East and into Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Water Handling Operation continues using ditches, canals, and high volume lift pumps to reinforce containment and assist in mop-up efforts. Burnout operations are being conducted. Resources continue to arrive. A rain shower was recieved over portions of the fire late in the day.

Outlook:
Planned Actions Continue to hold existing control lines and work to contain the North and Eastern sides of the fire by improving existing roads, fuel breaks, and executing burnout opertions. Continue to ramp up water-handling operations using ditches, canals, and high volume lift pumps to reinforce containment lines and mop up operations. Provide structure protection, as needed. Hold the West side of the fire to Evans Road.