Huge brushfire in Brunswick: Rock Creek Road closed, homes in danger!

Huge brushfire in Brunswick: Rock Creek Road closed, homes in danger!

On Thursday, May 22, 2025, a widespread brushfire broke out in Brunswick County, North Carolina, endangering homes in the Winnabow area. Authorities reported that multiple fire departments were on scene, resulting in the closure of Rock Creek Road. However, the road reopened Thursday evening, according to a Facebook post from the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office. While firefighters tried to contain the flames, they also took a look at the dangers to residents. The Winnabow Volunteer Fire Department clarified in another post that fire engines were protecting residents' homes.

At this point, the fire was 83 percent contained, although there were still some hot spots. These fire events are not isolated; This month has already seen another fire in Brunswick County, which started on May 2 and burned more than 1,300 acres in the Boiling Spring Lakes area. Bobby Lowery, a 28-year-old man from Nebo, was charged with failure to have a person in charge for the previous brushfire.

Drought conditions and fire risks

An additional problem is the region's ongoing drought, which is making vegetation in southeastern parts of North Carolina more vulnerable to fires, according to a May 12 news release from the North Carolina Forest Service. Drought conditions can cause the risk of brushfires to increase significantly, making such fires more difficult to combat.

The effects of forest fires are not only felt locally, but also attract attention on a global level. As the German climate portal reports, forest fires in North America have increased in recent decades. In 2023, for example, 140,000 km² of Canadian forest burned. This corresponds to around 1.4 percent of Canada's area or around 40 percent of Germany's area. These fires release large amounts of CO2 and can cause long-term changes in plant physiology.

Long-term climatic impacts

An investigation by the research team under Dr. Manuel Helbig analyzed the climatic effects of fires in North American coniferous forests since 1928. The results show that burned coniferous forest areas have higher surface temperatures in cool summers for up to five decades. Following a forest fire, permafrost can also thaw, which can lead to increased methane emissions.

Another finding of the study is that scenarios suggest a significant increase in wildfires by 2050, which could have a significant impact on global warming. With a drastic increase in the amount of forest area burned by 150 percent between 2020 and 2050, the mean annual temperature could rise by 30 percent. On the other hand, a moderate increase of 36 percent by 2050 would not lead to any additional warming effect.

Given recent events in Brunswick County, it is clear that both local and global factors are converging to increase the risk potential of wildfires. A comprehensive understanding of the risks and challenges therefore remains urgent to better manage future fire events.

For more information about the incidents and their significance, see the articles from Star News Online, McDowell News and that German climate portal.