In what has been described as the second worst fire conditions in 50 years, Virginia experienced a weekend of out-of-control forest fires as flames broke out across the Commonwealth on Saturday amid tinder dry woods with high winds gusting up to 60 mph.
Shenandoah National Park did not escape damage as fire raced across its borders, jumped the Skyline Drive, and burned 2,000 acres in the Smith Run area. The National Park Service reported that the scenic Skyline Drive was blocked between Front Royal and Rt. 211, and several trails have been closed including the Mt. Marshall Trail from Skyline Drive to the Bluff Trail, the Appalachian Trail between Compton Gap and the Browntown Trail, Lands Run Gap Fire Road, and the Jenkins Gap Trail.
Often working in very steep and rocky terrain, firefighters spent the weekend setting up containment lines and today planned to remove fuel by setting back fires to burn underbrush and leaves within those lines. The fires are expected to burn for several more days in that northern part of the park where no structures were reported in danger. The very popular Big Meadows and Skyland lodges are located in the central area of the park.
Western Virginia was under a red flag warning over the weekend with low humidity and extremely dry conditions that were ripe for fires. Added to that was the high wind warning with sustained winds of 25-35 mph and gusts of 60 mph. A statewide burning ban went into effect Tuesday, February 15, allowing for limited burning but after Saturday many localities have banned all outdoor fires until further notice.
White smoke was seen billowing from the mountain slopes and hollows of the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains throughout the weekend, and the air above the city of Harrisonburg as well as other locations was hazy and smelled of wood smoke. At my house in the central Shenandoah Valley, smoke could be seen all weekend from a large wildfire in the George Washington National Forest west of Harrisonburg that continued to burn Monday from a fire that began when high winds knocked a tree across electrical wires.
Over 100 firefighters from the National Park Service, North Carolina Hotshots, West Virginia, and Tennessee joined crews from the U.S. Forestry Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service as well as local firefighters and volunteers to help with blazes that have consumed thousands of acres. More crews have been requested to help contain the multiple fire lines.
Out-of-control fires Saturday at one time caused the closure of I-64 east of Richmond and I-95 entrance ramps in Northern Virginia. A number of fires continue to burn but are contained.
A tip of the hat to those on the front lines because, even though some structures were lost over the weekend, most that were threatened were saved. Northern Shenandoah Valley weather forecasts call for snow and sleet to move into the area Monday evening, hopefully bringing some relief to those working the front lines. Rain may help in the southern Valley.
