Crews contain large brush fire in Hope Mills
HOPE MILLS, N.C. (WTVD) -- Fire crews battled a large brush fire Monday in Hope Mills.
It happened just off Rock Fish Road near a senior living center and a shopping center.
So far, crews have kept the fire from spreading.
The Hope Mills Fire Department told an ABC11 crew at the scene that it has a double line all the way around the fire, keeping it contained.
It sparked about 1 p.m. and spread to about 20 acres before containment. Some small spot may smolder for the next couple of days.
Nearby residents were thankful for the quick work by firefighters.
"We're finally getting some good stores and events over here, so it would not be a good thing if it burned down this soon, or at all for that matter," said one neighbor, identified as Karyn.
The fire department said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Fire officials urged residents not to burn outdoors given the weather conditions.
"Oh yeah, well that's a good thing, it probably needed some of that brush burnt away anyway to prevent a real big one in the future," Karyn said.
The fire burned a bit near Jack Britt High School, but school operations were not affected.
It's the latest in a series of brush fires that broke out in central North Carolina since the weekend.
The North Carolina Forest Service reported more than 200 wildfires across the state Monday, although most of them were minor.
High winds and dry conditions moved through the Carolinas, intensifying the fire danger across the region.
In western North Carolina and parts of South Carolina, crews have been challenged by more serious brush fires.
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