Пожар на дороге Quarry повредил историческое афроамериканское кладбище в штате Северная Каролина

Quarry Road wildfire damages historic African-American cemetery in Shallotte SHALLOTTE, N.C. (WECT) - A wildfire that ignited in Brunswick County last week burned through a wooded area containing Rusher Bay Cemetery, a family-owned African-American cemetery dating back to the 1800s. Families of the deceased are now hoping the site will be included in the official damage count. The North Carolina Forest Service said the Quarry Road Fire ignited Friday, July 10. Rain has helped slow the spread, but crews are still clearing burning areas. As containment work continues, families who live near the burn area say the fire also damaged a place they consider sacred. Residents say they are still waiting to get back inside to assess the full extent of the damage. “You can still see some of the fire around, so I don’t know when we’ll be able to get back in there to take a look for ourselves,” a family member, Jeffrey Gause, said. Rusher Bay Cemetery in Shallotte is still in use today. It contains approximately 100 markers, though there may be more graves than what is officially documented, particularly older wooden and seashell markers that can disappear over time. The cemetery includes generational family names such as Gause, Bland, Bellamy, Frink, Flowers, and Gore, a part of Brunswick County history that families say needs to be protected. “I have a lot of concern about it, cause the tombstones are burned bad, and I’m hoping to get them cleaned up, and some of them have been damaged,” Gause said. A cleanup is in the works through the Broken Headstones Project, but organizers say they must wait until smoke clears before work can begin. “Cause you know that your loved ones are over there, and it really hurts all over again knowing that that fire went across there,” Gause said. Families say they are committed to the cemetery regardless of how long the process takes. “Those are our loved ones, and we will still take care of them, ourselves,” Gause said. Copyright 2026 WECT. All rights reserved.