Investigator says N.C. wildfire caused by lightning

RALEIGH, N.C.

Lightning has officially been named the cause of a wildfire in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.

The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources said in a news release Sunday that a tree was clearly struck by lightning. An investigator concluded that the fire smoldered before igniting two separate blazes that were fanned by favorable weather conditions.

The fire started May 5 and has consumed more than 25,000 acres, forcing the closure of U.S. 264 between Stumpy Point and Engelhard in the northeast corner of the state. The fire is 75 percent contained.

Smoke from the fire has caused air quality issues, but those appeared to be waning Sunday. Children, the elderly and people with respiratory disease should limit time outdoors in Dare County.