Brunswick County wildfire over halfway contained, N.C. Forest Service says

Fire crews have contained more than half of a wildfire in Brunswick County and are working to extinguish hot spots, the North Carolina Forest Service said Wednesday.

The fire started after a lightning strike in Shallotte on Friday. It has burned 283 acres and is 55% contained, officials said. 

Crews are working to keep the fire from crossing containment lines, according to the Forest Service. The process is highly labor intensive and involves exposing hot spots to mineral soil, then extinguishing them to prevent the fire from spreading.

"Mop-up is a critical phase during suppression because remaining burning debris may rekindle and threaten the integrity of a containment line," the Forest Service said in a press release.

No homes or structures are threatened, officials say.

The N.C. Forest Service, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and N.C. State Parks have crews assigned to the fire.

Acreage and containment updates can be tracked using the N.C. Forest Service's Wildfire Public Viewer tool.