As a young naturalist growing up in the Deep South, I feared kudzu. I’d walk an extra mile to avoid patches of it and the writhing knots of snakes that everyone said were breeding within.

"Our invasive Plant Crew has been hard at work." Local group shares powerful before-and-after photos of invasive species removal: 'A collaborative approach' first appeared on The Cool Down.

So we wanted to put kudzu to the test in the wild. A group of 12 people made two visits to the pub. The volunteers were all friends, and so were likely to enjoy a relaxed evening’s drinking.

The fire was first reported on March 20, caused by a downed power line. North Carolina remains under a statewide burn ban.