Fires burn in several Eastern N.C. counties

RALEIGH -- State and county firefighters are spreading their resources across several wildfires in Eastern North Carolina, including one that damaged eight structures in Cumberland County on Wednesday, officials said.

That fire erupted Tuesday in adjacent Bladen County and covered 1,500 acres by Wednesday afternoon, said Chris Meggs, director of Bladen County Emergency Management. The fire destroyed three homes in the Live Oak area of Cumberland County, while several barns and outbuildings were also damaged.

Dry, hot and breezy conditions have fueled more fires this year, fire officials say.

A fire in the Holly Shelter Game Land area of Pender County has tripled over the past 24 hours, reaching 18,200 acres by Wednesday afternoon, said Diane Steltz, spokeswoman for the state Division of Forest Resources.

That fire spread into Onslow County.

In Dare County, firefighters continue to work on the remaining 8,000 acres of a blaze that started in early May.

Another fire of about 50 acres has also been reported near the edge of Green Swamp in Columbus and Brunswick counties.