Last Resort fire now at 5,200 acres and 34% containment

TYRRELL COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Crews have continued to work around the clock to contain a fire that has been burning here in the East since Friday afternoon.

The North Carolina Forest Service says that the fire is estimated to be 5,200 acres and 34% contained as of 4:00 P.M. on Sunday.

Firefighting crews will continue efforts to improve containment lines and monitor conditions through the remainder of the operational period.

Easterly winds following Sunday’s weather front will push smoke impacts west of the fire area.

Communities between Roper and Creswell may be most impacted.

Overnight a combination of smoke and fog could lead to low visibility in some areas and drivers should allow for extra travel time due to the possibility of significant smoke Sunday night into Monday morning.

According to the National Weather Service, drivers should keep the following safety tips in mind if travel is necessary in foggy conditions:

Slow down. Allow extra time to reach your destination.
Make your vehicle visible to others in front of you and behind you. Use your low-beam headlights. Use fog lights if you have them.
Never use your high-beam lights. High-beam lights cause glares, making it more difficult to see what’s ahead of you on the road.
Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or change in traffic patterns.
To ensure you are staying in the proper lane, follow the lines on the road with your eyes.
In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business and stop.
If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except your hazard flashing lights, set the emergency break, and take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the taillights are not illuminated so that other drivers don’t mistakenly run into you.

Operational resources working the fire include 66 personnel.

There are no injuries and no structures threatened at this time.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.