ELIZABETHTOWN - The battle of yet another Bladen County woods fire ended dramatically Wednesday when one of the bomber planes used to drop water on the scene had to make an emergency landing in a field.

The fire began behind a home on Rice Road in White Oak off Burney Road. Firefighters and forestry workers fought the blaze for about five hours, Glenn Watkins of the N.C. Forestry Service said Wednesday afternoon. Forestry workers remained on the scene that evening and the following day to ensure the area was safe.

Three bombers were brought in to the Elizabethtown airport to drop water on the Rice Road area, but after the drop was made, one of the pilots was forced to make an abrupt landing.

Forestry officials were able to get news that the pilot was safe, but a helicopter was sent out to search for the plane, Watkins said. It was later found in a cornfield in Sampson County, where the pilot was rescued uninjured.

Watkins said about 10 acres was burned in the White Oak blaze, which he is certain was started by a lightning strike. There was no sign of debris burning in the area, he said.

The three bombers all made a water drop at the same time, Watkins said. With the location of the fire, near the Cape Fear River, a helicopter would have been ideal to use, because it could have dipped water from the river. However, unforeseen problems prevented the helicopter from responding.

Forestry officials are still working on the woods fire that began last Wednesday off of Big Bay Drive on Twisted Hickory, and another off N.C. 210 that began Monday evening. In fact, Watkins added, workers were at the N.C. 210 fire when the Rice Road blaze was called in. Some of the workers are still in Hyde County as well, assisting with wildfires on the coast.

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