Crews Attempt New Strategy To Fight Carolina Forest Wildfire

As of Monday morning, the flames that ignited on March 1 were 75% contained and remain at 2,059 acres.

Crews are launching a new strategy to help assist in fighting the Carolina Forest Wildfire.

As of Monday morning, the flames that ignited on March 1 were 75% contained and remain at 2,059 acres.

Several areas of heat are smoldering under the peat surface, fed partially by decomposed plant material. Those sections are expected to remain hot “for an extended period of time.”

Crews are now taking a different approach known as mastication. It involves the grinding of hazardous vegetation such as bushes and small trees into a layer of mulch, reducing flammable material and helping to keep flames from climbing.

They will be carving out areas where homes or buildings sit close to or within forests and bays to create a buffer.

The work is expected to take up to 10-days to create a 30-foot wide strip. Some levels of noise is expected during the process, but no road closures as of right now.