A wildfire in Hyde County is releasing millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Fires on June 19 were caused by lightning. According to the North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS), as of 7 a.m., the fire is estimated at 1,940 acres and 70 percent.
The fire is burning on private land in the Carolina Ranch near the Pokémon Lake National Wildlife Sanctuary. Pocosins are freshwater moist soils. Pete soil has a high carbon content because it has been decomposed organic matter for thousands of years.
“It’s scary,” said Curtis Richardson.
Richardson is a professor of resource ecology at Duke University. He is the founding director of the Duke University Westland Center.
“[Pocosins] They have one-third of the world’s carbon, ”Richardson said. [soil that’s burning] It is 8,900 years old. It will not be replaced tomorrow. You burn old carbon. It is like burning a coal mine.
The fire is not burning on the surface right now, but it is burning underground. This makes it very difficult to resolve, says NCFS event commander Michael Cheek.
“We have stopped horizontal movement on the landscape … but it is still falling to the ground,” Cheek said. “We have burnt areas. [at least] 18 inches deep in the ground. “
NCFS staff fetched water from nearby lakes to the fire area. Workers have so far poured over 170 million gallons of water.
The burning land is also where Richardson was doing research.
“When we look at satellite photos … our research plots are in the middle of this fire,” Richardson said.
Richardson was working with Carolina ranch owners to rejuvenate the burning area. Pokémon lands are often lost for agriculture or farming. A recent Duke study found that drying up poxine and wetlands contributes to climate change.
A.D. In 2008, a similar fire broke out in the same area. Evans Road fire burned about 42,000 acres and lasted for about seven months. Most of the fires are in the Pokosin Lake National Wildlife Sanctuary.
In addition to releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide, the fire is affecting the habitat of many animals.
“This is the ultimate refuge [black bears] Locally, “Richard said. Deer and turkeys and quail – suffer because of this.”
According to Richardson, if such action is not taken soon, more fires could occur.
“There are tens of thousands of acres of land in the Southeast,” Richard said. “You put millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It’s a tragedy.”
