The King Fire: Memoirs of a Rural Community

The King Fire: Memoirs of a Rural Community

On September 13th 2014, residents of Swansboro and Mosquito saw a plume of smoke begin to rise from The King Fire. At the time, it was a distant tragedy burning in Pollock Pines.

Less than 48 hours later, the fire had swallowed up so much terrain and grown so aggressive it was no longer happening “over there”: It was knocking on the community’s back door.

On the morning of September 16th, the entire community of Swansboro and Mosquito was forced to evacuate. Many thought it was more safety measure than necessity, but as winds shifted and the fire spread, day after day passed without residents being allowed to return to their homes.

On the evening of September 25th, the evacuation order was lifted.

Incredibly, not a single home in the community of Swansboro or Mosquito was lost.

In The King Fire: Memoirs of a Rural Community, residents, family, and friends of Swansboro and Mosquito remember what it was like to ride the roller coaster of experiences and emotions related to the King Fire, the evacuation, and the return home.