Last updated: 1:42 p.m. ET — We’re tracking reports of smoke and a possible fire within or adjacent to the Holly Shelter Game Lands. Details are still coming together. This page will be updated as we verify new information with state and county officials.
Table of Contents
- What We Know Right Now
- Official Sources & Live Maps
- Safety & Air Quality Tips
- Past Fires in the Holly Shelter Area
- How to Send Tips or Photos
What We Know Right Now
- Topsail Guide has received locally recorded video showing a smoke column rising from within or near the Holly Shelter Game Lands footprint.
- Early media notes indicate a prescribed/controlled burn may be scheduled today at Holly Shelter by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. We are confirming with official channels whether smoke observed this afternoon is from a prescribed burn or a wildfire.
- If you see immediate danger or active flames close to homes/roads, call 911 and follow instructions from first responders.
Official Sources & Live Maps
These links open in a new tab. We’ll add confirmed details as they’re published:
- N.C. Forest Service: Wildfire Public Viewer (active incident map)
- N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission: Operations, Closings & Alerts
- Pender County Emergency Management | Facebook
- Pender EMS & Fire | Fire Marshal’s Office
- WECT | WWAY (regional breaking updates)
- DriveNC (road closures/traffic if smoke impacts visibility)
Safety & Air Quality Tips
- Keep clear of any active scene and do not block access roads or gates within the game lands.
- If smoke drifts toward your neighborhood: close windows/doors and run A/C on recirculate if available.
- Driving through smoke? Use headlights, slow down, and leave extra space. Do not stop in travel lanes.
- During prescribed burns, nearby interior roads/trails can be closed. Obey all posted signage.
Past Fires in the Holly Shelter Area
- Juniper Road Fire (2011): A lightning-sparked wildfire in the Holly Shelter Game Lands burned tens of thousands of acres in peat/pocosin fuels and led to periodic area closures while crews worked for weeks to contain smoldering organic soils.
- “Persistent” Wildfire (March 2020): NC Forest Service crews contained a stubborn interior fire within Holly Shelter.
- Juniper Road Two Fire (August 2022): Lightning-caused fire expanded from an initial hold to 1,200–2,000+ acres at various points; containment increased over subsequent days as crews built and held lines.
- Brush Fires Near Holly Shelter/Island Creek (March 2025): A multi-agency response contained ~340 acres; roads in the area briefly closed and later reopened.
- Prescribed Burns (2025): NC Wildlife Resources Commission conducted prescribed burns in March, and local newscasts note a planned burn today at Holly Shelter as part of habitat management.
How to Send Tips or Photos
If you safely captured verifiable info (cross street/landmark, time-stamped photo/video), share it with the Topsail Guide editors. Please include:
- Location (nearest gate/road or landmark inside Holly Shelter)
- Time observed
- Direction and color of smoke (white/gray vs. dark)
We publish confirmed details only and will update this page as official information becomes available.
