Beaufort County yard debris fire smolders 2 days, ignites shed

A yard debris fire near Shell Point in northern Beaufort County smoldered two days before igniting a shed.

Burton firefighters responded to a call for a shed fire at Bellview Circle East at 11 a.m. Friday and extinguished a yard debris fire that had spread onto a neighbor’s property and ignited a shed, a Burton Fire District release said. The building sustained only minor damage.

A resident had been burning debris left after Hurricane Matthew on Wednesday. The fire smoldered two days before igniting the brush fire Friday.

Fire officials encourage stirring a debris pile while extinguishing to ensure the embers at the bottom are soaked with water. Debris also could be burned in containers or within trenches to prevent the fire from spreading.

This story was originally published May 19, 2017 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Beaufort County yard debris fire smolders 2 days, ignites shed."