Wildfire burns 4K acres in NC's Camp Lejeune area

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – A wildfire burning in an area that includes Camp Lejeune has grown to 4,000 acres as a state of emergency continues in eastern North Carolina.

Camp Lejeune spokesman Nat Fahy says officials reopened U.S. Highway 17 Friday and permitted evacuated residents to return home. But the blaze is not contained, and new evacuations are likely if winds pick up again.

Fahy says the fire began Saturday on the 125,000-acre military base and may have been sparked by Marines who were conducting training exercises in a wooded area. The cause of the fire, which has burned about 2,000 acres on the base, is under investigation.

Onslow County officials say no structures have been destroyed and no injuries have been reported. Firefighters are working to establish a perimeter.