SURF CITY, N.C. — Last week a Portuguese man o' war washed up on a Surf City beach. The fire department is warning beachgoers to remain aware, especially this holiday weekend. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Portuguese man o' war, a relative of jellyfish, is a colonial animal, meaning its components live together to form one body

  • The Surf City Fire Department posts beach forecasts daily to its Instagram page and Facebook page

  • It is important to avoid the man o' war because of its powerful sting

  • If you are stung, rinse the area with vinegar and let your health care provider know, the fire department says

Chief Allen Wilson leads the Surf City Fire Department, which includes an ocean rescue team. 

"We focus on staying constantly aware and constantly ready for really any of the hazards that we try to mitigate from a fire department's perspective," Wilson said. 

The fire department uses social media to update visitors on beach conditions every day. 

These updates bring attention to many types of hazards — including animals washed up on the shore like the Portuguese man o' war that was found last week. 

"They really don't propel themselves through the water like fish do. They really kind of have to take the ocean's currents, and they push the man o' war and those animals around. And sometimes they end up on the beach," Wilson said. 

This isn't an unusual sighting. Wilson said a few summers ago, several Portuguese man o' wars washed up on Surf City shores.

It's important not to touch it if you find one. 

"You know, a lot of times if a jellyfish washes on the beach, people will pick them up and do different things. But a man o' war can actually still sting you, you know, after a week of it being on the beach," Wilson said. 

The tentacles of the man o' war can stretch to 100 feet long, and the body could be on the beach but the tentacles could lie in other areas stretched out. 

The man o' war is dangerous but not deadly, unless you're allergic to its venom. 

"If stung by a man o' war, the first thing you want to do is really try to rinse it off with as much saltwater as you can," Wilson said. 

He says rinsing the affected area with vinegar will help remove the tentacles. He also warns to wear gloves or use another object and not your bare hands to remove the tentacles.