Current Wildfire Activity 4.9.2012 Afternoon Posting

VDOF responded to 22 wildfires for 163 acres yesterday. A number of fires, which are highlighted below, are still ongoing and are not totally reflected in these numbers.

Shipwerck Fire briefing early on in the incident.

The GreatSmoky Mountains might be in TN but for toady they are in VA. The Shipwreck Fire is putting up a lot of smoke which is visible for miles.

Page County, near Shenandoah, VA, Shipwreck Complex, 6 different brush fires reported. Approximately 200 Acres, started on private land but is now mostly on National Forest. Issued a voluntary evacuation order for about one dozen homes last night, firefighter efforts ultimately protected all of the homes from any damaged.

VDOF remains in charge and has all of threats to private lands taken care of at this point. VDOF has moved some IMT personnel into position to help manage the incident.

The USFS is bringing in their own Incident Management Team and other out of state resources by tomorrow to be in place for Wed. to manage the fire longer term on the areas now burning on National Forest lands.

There are also several other fires now burning totally on National Forest lands. VDOF remains involved, however, once our efforts to finalize the protection of private property associated with this fires is complete, and once the USFS has brought in their own suppression resources, we will be significantly reducing our involvement.

Alleghany County – 3 separate fires three different fires West of Covington and reported to be 200 acres total. VDOF handled the initial attack, but is now transitioning over to the USFS.

Barbers Creek – Craig Co., VDOF resources handled the initial attack over the last day and a half, however VDOF resources are now transitioning over to USFS resources. This morning’s estimates are that 750 acres have burned.

Wolf Gap – Shenandoah Co. 100 acre fire completely on National Forest land. VDOF personnel began suppression actions last night since no one from the USFS could respond, however the USFS will be taking this fire over today to free up the VDOF resources.

North Zone Office of the USFS – reporting one additional new fire totally on USFS lands, acreage unknown. Being managed by USFS resources.

Easter with Smokey Bear

Can you believe it’s already Easter? The grass is green, the flowers are blooming and the trees are beginning to leaf out…..Spring Has Sprung!  I know it was April’s Fools Day last Sunday BUT Please DON’T let our early spring and green-up fool you now! There is still the potential for serious wildfires most of which will be caused by carelessness. So REMEMBER what SMOKEY tells us … ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT WILDFIRES and ALWAYS BE CAREFUL.

Thanks and have a great spring!!!

Gov. Bob McDonnell and first lady Maureen McDonnell held the first "Governor's Easter Egg Hunt," yesterday at the state Capitol. Thanks to the Eastern Region and some last minute shuffling around Smokey made an appearance, he might have been a late invitee but he along with several other characters had a great time spending the day with the young and not so young along with the Governor and First Lady.

Below are several coloring sheets for you to enjoy. Right click on the picture and copy and paste into a word document (landscape) or print target. Don’t worry about what looks like some bad spots on the image when you click on it they will print out just fine.

Below is a picture from a recent wildfire showing some pretty significant extreme fire conditions. PLEASE  DO YOUR PART and DON'T LET A WILDFIRE START.

Spotsylvania Fire and Rescue crews work to contain a brush fire that broke out Monday afternoon, April 2, 2012,  in Lee’s Parke near the Spotsylvania Parkway in Spotsylvania, VA.

Thanks!

First BIG wildfire of the season

We have been so fortunate this Spring (so far) that the several real “fire days” have been preceded by enough moisture mostly in the form of rain that those bad days did NOT result in much if any fire activity. However we still have quite a bit of spring fire season to go and it does not take long for conditions to change especially in flashy fine fuels. The pictures below are evidence of that. Last Monday the 27^th we had an 800 +/- acre wildfire in Lee County. It burned mostly in what the locals call Plume Grass which during this time of year is 6 to 8 foot tall match sticks. 17 homes and 17 other structures were threatened but none were damaged due to the suppression actions taken by the Virginia Department of Forestry and local fire departments. Thanks to the men and women who responded to this wildfire.

Check out at the link below the Virginia Department of Forestry "situational report" that is posted daily on their website http://www.dof.virginia.gov/

view the report online.

From fire to snow in a year.

A year ago today we were covered with wildfires all accross the state and this year by tomorrow it might be snow.!!!!

Blacksburg, VA

§ The weather system from yesterday is still on track and on timing as predicted.

§ Despite current temperatures in the 40s and 50s, the evening and tonight will bring a sudden drop to the low 30s.

§ South-western Virginia will see the temperatures in the upper 20s to low 30s and will begin to receive precipitation after midnight Saturday.

§ In Blacksburg and the surrounding areas there is a 40% chance of up to 8 inches of snowfall total.

§ Central Virginia near Charlottesville and Richmond will mostly likely see the precipitation starting as snow. Currently there is a 70% chance of at least 4 inches of snow in this area.

§ In extreme northern portions of the state into Loudoun and Frederick counties up to 2 inches of snowfall is possible.

§ East of I-95 towards the coast, temperatures will remain warm and any precipitation will likely be rain.

§ The ground remains warm in most of Virginia, therefore snowfall will initially only accumulate in grassy areas and elevated structures such as bridges and parking garages.

§ During the evening and overnight hours Sunday we will begin to see snow accumulation on roadways.

§ Bright and sunny weather is expected for Monday with temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Snow that remains on the ground will quickly melt.

§ Cities and counties in the New River Valley, as well as those along the I-81 corridor are currently under a Winter Storm Watch. It is likely that these will be upgraded to Winter Storm Warnings.

§ Snowfall is expected to be heavy and wet, and brings the possibility of some downed tree limbs and power lines, with the possibility of scattered power outages. Significant or prolonged power outages are not expected.

Wakefield, VA

§ Snowfall accumulations along the I-95 corridor may reach up to 2 inches, although up to 4 inches is possible.

§ In the Richmond area the bulk of the snowfall will occur during the evening hours Sunday.

§ Icing on roadways is possible pre-sunrise.

§ East of Richmond to the coast, cold rain is expected.

§ All precipitation should end by 0700 Monday morning.

§ There is a potential for minimal coastal flooding.

Morristown, TN

§ For south-western Virginia 4 to 6 inches of snowfall is forecast.

§ Expect snow to be wet and heavy.

§ Accumulation on roadways will likely not occur until the evening hours Sunday, and may only occur on secondary roadways.

§ Slush buildup on roadways is likely to freeze overnight.

§ Winter Storm Watches are currently in effect for most of south-western Virginia. These will likely be upgraded to Winter Storm Warnings.

Sterling, VA

§ Ground temperatures in Northern Virginia will remain warm. Most accumulation will occur on grassy surfaces with little road accumulation.

§ A Winter Storm Watch has been posted for the Shenandoah Valley. This may be upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning.

§ Between 4 to 6 inches of snow is possible in Charlottesville and the surrounding jurisdictions.

§ The far northern portions of the state may receive as little as 2 inches of snow, though less than an inch is possible.

TODAY BEGINS THE 4 PM LAW

This law has been on the "books" since 1950 and is directly responsibe for the prevention of hundreds if not thousands of wildfires all accross the Commonwealth. By reminding folks that this time of year is of concern for wildfires and by restricting when and where outdoor burning can occur helps reduce the carless, unintentional wildfire starts.
The actual law reads ......
 During the period February 15 through April 30 of each year, even though the precautions required by the foregoing subsection have been taken, it shall be unlawful, in any county or city or portion thereof organized for forest fire control under the direction of the State Forester, for any person to set fire to, or to procure another to set fire to, any brush, leaves, grass, debris or field containing dry grass or other inflammable material capable of spreading fire, located in or within 300 feet of any woodland, brushland, or field containing dry grass or other inflammable material, except between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight.
Violation of this law is a class 3 misdemeanor which carries a fine of up to $500. If your outdoor burning get out of your control and the firedepartments and VA Department of Forestry needs to respond to suppress the escaped fire you will be responsible for the cost of suppressing the fire which might be thousands of dollars. There may be additional law violations should this occur.
For more information of the 4 PM law and other Forest Fire Laws please visit
 http://www.dof.virginia.gov/info/faqs-burning.htm
or

Code of Virginia: Forestry Table of Contents

Protecting Virginia's Forests from Wildfire

• Cost Recovery for Fire Protection § 10.1-1141 Liability and recovery of cost of fighting forest fires
• 4 p.m. Burning Law § 10.1-1142 Regulating the burning of woods, brush, etc.; penalties l Exemption from the 4 p.m. Burning Law.
• Throwing inflammatory objects from vehicle on highway while in or near certain lands § 10.1-1143
• Rewards for information leading to conviction of arsonists or incendiaries § 10.1-1138
• Serious Fire Hazards § 10.1-1158

The short video clip below was taken from a NBC TV 29 news broadcast out of Charlottesville this morning.

Last year from February 14 through the 19th was acritical time for all of Virginian's. Weather conditions were a big reason why during that time over 1,000 fires burned several thousands of acres with dozens of homes being damaged and hundreds of homeowners being evacuated.
So PLEASE join the Virginia Department of Forestry AND SMOKEY BEAR and do your part, don't let a wildfire start.

More safety tips will follow over the next few days please check back often.

Virginia's 4 PM Law will soon be in effect.

More about this law and new campaign in the upcomming days PLEASE check back often.

It'a been a quiet wildfire season so far, but.........

It’s been a fairly quite late fall / winter fire season nationally with the recent big fire near Reno reminding us all just how quickly things can change. The Reno wildfire was yet another accidental fire this one caused by improperly discarded ashes.

An "extremely remorseful" man admitted Friday that he accidentally started a brush fire that destroyed 29 homes near Reno when he improperly discarded fireplace ashes at his home south of town, authorities said.

"He came forward on his own accord," Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said about the man. The blaze, fueled by 82 mph wind gusts, burned nearly 3,200 acres and forced the evacuation of up to 10,000 people Thursday.

I will repost some info from earlier posts hoping to give you information on how to properly dispose of ashes and the dangers in not doing so. Please pass this information on to anyone you know who burns wood for heating and cooking in their homes or businesses.

Hot Ash Safety Fact Sheet

Wood ashes retain enough heat to ignite other combustible materials for several days. Forestry officials caution homeowners about this serious threat to the safety of their families and homes. Improper ash disposals have already destroyed homes, outbuildings and valuable resources this fall. Please be careful!!!

 What can you do to prevent forest and field fires from igniting from hot wood ash?

•Dispose of wood ashes in a metal container that can be tightly closed, douse with water, place the closed container outside your home away from combustible materials and leave in the container for several days before disposing of them. (Did you know that many people dispose of their wood stove ashes in garbage containers that are often plastic or even paper bags? It doesn’t take much heat for these types of containers to burst into flames.)

•Teach other family members about the dangers associated with hot ash disposal

•Be careful with ashes around areas you might not consider as combustible during wetter times such as mulched flowerbeds and lawns that are drought stricken.

•Do Not place hot ashes in a dumpster where there are certainly other combustible materials

•Do Not dispose of ashes in a paper, plastic or cardboard containers

•Do Not assume the ashes are cold and pour them onto the ground (even into a hole) where leaves can blow onto them or the wind can stir up sparks.

 A cord of wood produces about 50 pounds of ashes, which can be used for many other purposes.

 Once you are POSITIVE your container of ashes is “Cold”, place in a pile and prepare your container for the next load.

 Ashes from different types of wood vary slightly in their chemical composition, but all kinds of ashes can be used as fertilizer. They produce 50 to 70% lime and contain phosphorus, potash and trace elements. Gardeners can raise the soil’s pH by applying wood ash to their soil. To avoid altering the pH too drastically, take a soil sample prior to the addition of wood ashes to your garden spot. If the soil pH value is below 5.8 and there is a lime recommendation on the soil test, then place a dusting of wood ash on the surface and work it into the soil.

 Ashes may be used as a repellent. Sprinkle ashes beside row crops and on paths through the garden to discourage slugs and snails.

Stay Warm AND SAFE

As we here in Virginia prepare to go into our "Spring Wildfire Season" I will hopefully be back to posting more regularly interesting safety information and information on current wildfire activity in Virginia and elsewhere.