Increase in wildfire activity and an update on Neighbor Mtn and Point 2

In addition to the 2 fires below (the Neighbor Mountain and Point 2) the state had 33 fires for 177 acres over the weekend. Several place received rain withe the storms but many areas received little or no rain, just heavy winds and lightning. 19 of the 33 fires reported were lightning fires.

Neighbor Mountain Fire Incident Update

Monday, July 2, 2012

Information: 404-354-5027 or 404-354-5118

Increased smoke is expected from the Neighbor Mountain Fire.

Overview:

precipitation from the recent storm, but has again begun to increase due to drying conditions. This will result in

increased smoke.

The fire has been burning since June 26, 2012. Fire activity was reduced as a result of

Size:

Shenandoah National Park.

Estimated at 1125 acres as of 4:00 p.m. on 7/01/12, and is still entirely within the boundaries of

Containment:

20% at 4:00 p.m. on 7/01/12. No estimated date of containment.

Fire Conditions:

lines. The forest is a mix of hardwoods, mountain laurel, blueberry and leaf litter.

The fire is burning in steep, rocky terrain and moving slowly downhill toward containment

Today’s Strategy:

Construction of indirect lines is to be completed today.

Crews will continue to build and strengthen lines with direct attack as conditions permit.

Current Resources:

a unified command with the National Park Service and the Virginia Dept. of Forestry to manage the fire.

Resources assigned to the fire include personnel from the National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, US

Fish and Wildlife Service, Virginia Department of Forestry, Mississippi Forestry Commission, and many other

cooperating agencies. There are 237 personnel working on the incident.

The Southern Area Red Team, as a Type 2 incident management team has established

Threats:

No immediate threats to structures.

Fire Closures:



Cutoff, Knob Mountain, Neighbor Mountain, Jeremys Run. Byrd’s Nest #4 Shelter.

The following trails are closed: Appalachian Trail between Elkwallow and Beahms Gap, Knob Mountain



Visitor facilities, Skyline Drive, local highways and amenities all remain open.

Incident Information Sources:

communities – neighbormtnfire@gmail.com. Current information will be available on the park twitter and

facebook sites – http://www.facebook.com/shenandoahnps and

Fire details can also be found on

POINT 2 FIRE

Incident Overview

The Point 2 Wildland Fire is located entirely on national forest lands on Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah. The fire poses a potential threat to homes and private land on the east and west sides. The public is always advised to prepare for a worse case scenario.
Residents should be prepared for smoky or hazy conditions in towns or on road ways. The fire will continue to grow on its own due to hot, dry weather and dry soil conditions.
The terrain is steep, rocky and remote making access to the fire extremely challenging.
Because of the active fire behavior, the following trails are closed until further notice:
The Massanutten National Recreation (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap. The Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613).
Sherman Gap (#403) and Veach Gap (#484) Trails are also closed. The Little Crease Trail Shelter is also closed to all public use.
The number one priority is public and firefighter safety.
Please use caution with all campfires. Be advised that fireworks are prohibited on national forest lands.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildfire
Cause	Lightning
Date of Origin	Monday June 25th, 2012 approx. 01:30 PM
Location	George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, Lee Ranger District: Massanutten Mountain
Incident Commander	Oscar Montijo/ Jay Collet

Current Situation

Total Personnel	218
Size	890 acres
Percent Contained	30%
Fuels Involved	Predominately hardwood with some areas of pine and understory brush.
Fire Behavior	Backing and flanking during the burn out operation. Fire continues to burn into the deep duff layer on the dryer ridges.
Significant Events	Fire continues to spread east and south along the ridge tops. Began aerial burnout operation on the east side.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Plans for Monday 7/2/12: Firefighters will continue to construct, hold and inprove control lines with bulldozers and hand tools. Assess opportunities to burn out as needed. Complete burn out operations on the east side of the fire. Helicopters will drop water to slow down the fire spread, bring supplies to firefighters and provide aerial ignition for burnout. The public can expect to see smoke on Monday as the fire continues to spread toward control lines and burn out operations are used to burn remaining fuels on the west side. Fire crews will be on the fire Sunday night.
Growth Potential	There is medium growth potential due to heavy, dry fuels, the steep rugged terrain, difficult access and weather conditions.
Terrain Difficulty	Terrain is extremely steep, rocky and rugged making access to the fire challenging for firefighters.
Remarks	Residents should be prepared for smoky or hazy conditions in towns and on roadways. Please use caution with all campfires. Be advised that fireworks are prohibited on national forest lands. Homeowners are encouraged to visit www.firewise.org for information on how to make their homes more defensible from wildfires. #1 priority is public and firefighter safety. The fire received 0.2 inches of rain on Friday night from a line of severe thunderstorms that moved through the area last night. There are numerous power outages and trees down in the vicinity of the fire and the ICP.

Current Weather

Wind Conditions	17 mph NW
Temperature	94 degrees
Humidity	29%

Incident Management has set up an email account for communication with thehttp://twitter.com/ShenandoahNPS.www.inciweb.gov, search Neighbor Mountain Fire

Wildfires Continue to burn in Virginia

One can NOT compare the fires that are currently burning in Virginia with those out West. Yes all wildfires are dangerous and any size fire can destroy someones home, injue firefighters and as we see from Colorado can even kill.
Our hearts and prayers go out to all those being impacted by wildfires out west while also doing all we can right here "at home in Virginia".

Two wildfires in western Virginia on Thursday worried some residents when the scent of smoke drifted as far as the District.

According to officials, the wildfires are both burning on federal land, one in the Shenandoah National Park and the other in George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. Trails in both parks were closed because of the fire.

By 6 p.m. Thursday, the Point 2 Wildfire in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests was about 353 acres, and only 5 percent contained, a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture Forest Service. It is located on Massanutten Mountain between Sherman Gap and Veach Gap, spanning both Shenandoah and Warren Counties. It was first detected on Monday.

Trails were also closed in the Shenandoah National Park for the Neighbor Mountain Fire.

Agreat story and video can be found at

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/US-Forest-Service-Fights-Fire-on-Massanutten-Mountain-in-Virginia-160759645.html

Cautioned urged for July 4th fireworks

The lack of rainfall especially in South-central Virginia is raising concerns that the use of fireworks during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday could spark fires in tinder-dry fields and woods.

Virginia Department of Forestry officials indicate that it's not just cities and towns' pyrotechnic shows that pose a threat. He says small fireworks, cookouts and bonfires that are popular during the holiday could start fires in the dry conditions that would spread rapidly.

While the dry conditions concern fire officials there are no immediate plans to ban fireworks.

The agency is encouraging people planning holiday celebrations to use fireworks safely. Spokesman Gregg O’Donnell says the wildfire potential exists in areas where consecutive days of hot temperatures have dried out vegetation.

“It has been awhile since our last beneficial rainfall in many areas, and it is slowly drying out,” said John Miller, Virginia Department of Forestry’s Director of Resource Protection. “We want everyone to be safe and legal while using fireworks, or better yet leave the fireworks to professionals.”

The Department of Forestry recommends following these safety tips:

• Buy from reliable fireworks sellers only use those that are legal for use in Virginia and your locality.
• To detonate fireworks, find a flat surface, away from buildings, dry leaves and grass.
• Have water, a rake and shovel on hand in case of a fire.
• Insist on adult supervision when buying or setting off fireworks.
• Read and follow label directions, warnings and instructions.
• Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
• Light only one firework at a time.
• Never try to re-Iight fireworks that have not detonated.
• Never give fireworks to small children; even sparklers can cause serious burns.
• Keep all pets especially dogs away from any fireworks.

Fred X. Turck Assistant Director Resource Protection Division Firewise, Prescribed Fire, Prevention and Education

For more info and some prevention material (coloring sheets and mini posters) visit

http://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/fireworks.shtml

USFS and NPS fighting wildfires in Virginia

There are 2 significant wildfires currently burning on federal lands in Virginia. The US Forest Service and the National Park Service both have fires they along with help from the Virginia Department of Forestry and local resources.

The Point 2 Wildfire is the USFS Fire, currently at 1,000 acres.

The Point 2 Wildland Fire is located on the Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah.
The public can expect to see smoke for several days due to the dry conditions in the fire location and the lack of predicted precipitation.
The terrain is steep, rocky and remote making access to the fire extremely challenging.
Because of the active fire behavior, the following trails are closed until further notice:
The Massanutten National Recreation (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap. The Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613).
Sherman Gap (#403) and Veach Gap (#484) Trails are also closed.
The number one priority is public and firefighter safety.
Please use caution with all campfires. Be aware that fireworks are prohibited on national forest lands.


The NPS Fire is called the Neighbor Mtn Fire and is near the star on the map below.

This fire is currently 250 acres in size. This fire is also a possible lightning strike from a storm over the weekend. There are 30 people on the fire now with additional resources being ordered up and will be in place tomorrow. The Virginia Department of Forestry will concentrating suppression efforts along rt 612 where numerous homes and a church is in the area. Currently the fire is approximately 3/4 a mile from these structures but will possibly cover much of that distance up overnight and tomorrow.