Update Holly Shelter wildfire: NC Forest Service reports Pender County blaze 53% contained

A Monday evening rain was much appreciated by the more than 60 North Carolina Forest Service personnel battling a wildfire in Pender County.

The Juniper Road Two Fire is burning more than 1,226 acres in the Holly Shelter Game Lands  — a footprint smaller than officials previously thought. As of Tuesday morning, the fire is 53% contained, according to the North Carolina Forest Service.

A half-inch of rainfall Monday night in the area proved helpful, according to a Tuesday morning news release from the forest service. But, personnel on site "remain vigilant with firefighting efforts," the release said.

Emergency personnel responded to the Holly Shelter Game Lands last Wednesday and began efforts to contain the spreading blaze. Over the weekend, the forest service conducted aviation operations that dropped water to extinguish smoldering pockets in the fire.

According to Pender County Emergency Management, residents in the eastern part of the county may still be seeing and smelling smoke, as a result of northern winds.

Officials estimated the fire had grown to over 2,000 acres last week, but more accurate mapping sized the fire at 1,230 acres, according to a Friday news release.

Previous coverage: Wildfire in rural Pender County spans 2,000 acres, no homes threatened

2011 wildfire: Holly Shelter wildfire, June 2011

The fire is thought to have been originally started last week, according to the North Carolina Forest Service. Officials responded to the same area of the game lands on Aug. 2 and controlled a 10-acre fire caused by a lightning strike.

Carrie McCullen, public information officer with the North Carolina Forest Service, said the vegetation in the area made it easy for fires to smolder and reignite even after such time had passed.

The fire remains roughly two miles from N.C. Hwy 50. The fire is contained to the game lands and is not threatening homes or structures.

Additional personnel responded to the fire over the weekend, according to the North Carolina Forest Service. As of Sunday, 59 personnel from the forest service are on site.

Jamey Cross is the public safety reporter at the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross. 

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: NC wildfire burning in Pender County more than 50% contained