GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - A wildfire at Crowders Mountain was not the result of controlled burn that went wrong, fire officials said Sunday night, disputing previous reports.

Around 8 p.m. Sunday, Gaston County Communications said the fire was a controlled burn. Then, just before 10 p.m., Crowders Mountain Fire & Rescue refuted that, and said the fire was not the "result of a controlled burn that got out of hand."

The fire department said controlled fires were set through a method called "back burning" to help fight the uncontrolled flames.

According to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, back burning is when crews purposely set fires in front of an uncontrolled fire to burn up the fuel. The goal is that once the fuel is burnt up, the wildfire can no longer spread.

Crowders Mountain Fire & Rescue said multiple agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, were on the mountain most of Sunday.

As of the 10 p.m. update, firefighters said the fire was "mostly contained," but that the Forest Service continued to monitor overnight. Additional crews were expected to help Monday.

Fire officials asked the public to avoid the area and warned nearby residents that they may see roadside fires set as part of the back-burning process, and encouraged drivers to be cautious of firefighters working along the roads.

There has been no word on how much acreage has burned up, nor if there were any injuries.

The fire was believed to have started near Lake Montania.