500-acre fire spreads throughout Outer Banks, N.C.

DARE COUNTY, N.C. (WRIC) — A 500-acre forest fire broke out in the northern portion of the Dare County Bomb Range in the Outer Banks Tuesday morning.

The fire drifted into the neighboring Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, leading refuge firefighters to assist the Forest Service in fighting the blaze.

The fire was considered 40% contained as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the online North Carolina Forest Service app.

“We’re getting questions about smoke on the Dare County Mainland,” said the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in North Carolina in a recent Facebook post. “Thankfully, with forecast weather, we do not expect the fire to present much additional threat to refuge habitats and facilities.”

The Roanoke Island Volunteer Fire Department reported multiple phone calls regarding a strong smell of smoke coming from the area at 9:46 a.m.