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| Shenandoah wildfire grows to 5,6oo acres as 350 firefighters battle to contain it | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| GROTTOES, Va. — A team of 350 firefighters from across the country descended on Shenandoah National Park this week to battle with a 5,600-acre blaze, one of the largest in the park’s history. | |
| The wildfire — which by Wednesday had consumed an area about 60 times larger than the Tidal Basin — forced officials to close 12 miles of the Appalachian Trail and about 14 miles of Skyline Drive, the renowned scenic road for those who want to see the park by car. Still, the National Park Service reported that visitor facilities, major highways and neighboring communities remained open. | |
| Fueled by what one official described as “historic dryness,” the inferno has nearly tripled in size across the southern portion of the park since Monday night. Jim Northup, Shenandoah’s superintendent, said that the fire — thought to be human-caused but still under investigation — had quickly outpaced the efforts to control it. | |
| Managing its spread, he said, was “like trying to put a cork in a volcano.” | Managing its spread, he said, was “like trying to put a cork in a volcano.” |
| Authorities, he explained, had two primary goals: keeping firefighters, park visitors and neighboring residents safe and containing the fire within the park’s 200,000 acres. | Authorities, he explained, had two primary goals: keeping firefighters, park visitors and neighboring residents safe and containing the fire within the park’s 200,000 acres. |
| [Drone video: Thick brown smoke rises from the Shenandoah wildfire] | [Drone video: Thick brown smoke rises from the Shenandoah wildfire] |
| So far, Northup said, they’d mostly achieved those goals. No one had been seriously injured as of late Wednesday afternoon and, with the exception of briefly reaching Beldor, the fire has not left the park’s boundaries. | So far, Northup said, they’d mostly achieved those goals. No one had been seriously injured as of late Wednesday afternoon and, with the exception of briefly reaching Beldor, the fire has not left the park’s boundaries. |
| Still, the fire remains a serious challenge. Northup was particularly concerned because no significant rain is forecast for the region, and the park is already four inches below average rainfall for the year. | Still, the fire remains a serious challenge. Northup was particularly concerned because no significant rain is forecast for the region, and the park is already four inches below average rainfall for the year. |
| “What puts out very large fires like this one,” he said “is a big precipitation event.” | “What puts out very large fires like this one,” he said “is a big precipitation event.” |
| The community hall of the Grottoes Volunteer Fire Department was transformed Wednesday into a command center for the federal emergency response team that mobilized to fight what’s being called the “Rocky Mount Fire.” Normally the setting for pancake breakfasts and bingo games, the linoleum-floored hall was filled with federal officials wearing red hats and shirts with the words “Southern Area Incident Management Team.” | The community hall of the Grottoes Volunteer Fire Department was transformed Wednesday into a command center for the federal emergency response team that mobilized to fight what’s being called the “Rocky Mount Fire.” Normally the setting for pancake breakfasts and bingo games, the linoleum-floored hall was filled with federal officials wearing red hats and shirts with the words “Southern Area Incident Management Team.” |
| Since the fire was first reported Saturday afternoon — back when it was just 70 acres in size — the team has used bulldozers, picks and shovels to create a containment perimeter that will, they hope, allow the fire to burn without escaping the park and threatening communities on its eastern and western borders. | Since the fire was first reported Saturday afternoon — back when it was just 70 acres in size — the team has used bulldozers, picks and shovels to create a containment perimeter that will, they hope, allow the fire to burn without escaping the park and threatening communities on its eastern and western borders. |
| On Wednesday morning, helicopters began water drops along Skyline Drive, and larger aircraft were expected to continue that operation Thursday. | |
| The majority of the fire is burning in Rockingham County, Va., though smoke has wafted southeast over the past few days, creating a brown haze across Harrisonburg and other parts of central Virginia. | The majority of the fire is burning in Rockingham County, Va., though smoke has wafted southeast over the past few days, creating a brown haze across Harrisonburg and other parts of central Virginia. |
| Sherri Wiseman stood in the front yard of her Elkton home with her grandson just a mile or so from where the fire burned. The air was thick with smoke as pieces of ash drifted wearily to the ground. | Sherri Wiseman stood in the front yard of her Elkton home with her grandson just a mile or so from where the fire burned. The air was thick with smoke as pieces of ash drifted wearily to the ground. |
| “It burns your eyes and takes your breath away,” said Wiseman, who grew up here and couldn’t remember a blaze this bad. She was trusting reports that officials were properly managing the fire, but she had hooked up the garden hose just in case. | “It burns your eyes and takes your breath away,” said Wiseman, who grew up here and couldn’t remember a blaze this bad. She was trusting reports that officials were properly managing the fire, but she had hooked up the garden hose just in case. |
| “It’s scary,” said a 16-year-old standing on the front porch of her family’s nearby home. “We’re really scared it’s going to spread onto our land. I was at school and you could really smell the smoke, and it’s even worse at home. It’s giving me a headache.” | “It’s scary,” said a 16-year-old standing on the front porch of her family’s nearby home. “We’re really scared it’s going to spread onto our land. I was at school and you could really smell the smoke, and it’s even worse at home. It’s giving me a headache.” |
| Although the weather hasn’t cooperated this week, conditions have improved, said National Weather Service fire weather forecaster Andrew Woodcock. He noted that the shape of the smoke plume on satellite suggested the wind had dissipated. | Although the weather hasn’t cooperated this week, conditions have improved, said National Weather Service fire weather forecaster Andrew Woodcock. He noted that the shape of the smoke plume on satellite suggested the wind had dissipated. |
| “The last couple of days, the smoke has been sort of like a flashlight beam in Rockingham County. There was a pretty fine line of smoke that has been trailing southeast of the fire,” Woodcock said. This indicated that strong winds were racing through the wildfire. “Today [the smoke] is more diffuse. The winds are definitely not as strong today as they’ve been previous days.” | |
| Rain is possible Thursday night into Friday, although that storm probably won’t extinguish the fire. Just a half-inch of precipitation is expected through Friday night. A potentially windy Saturday, Woodcock said, could exacerbate the fire if it’s still burning then. | Rain is possible Thursday night into Friday, although that storm probably won’t extinguish the fire. Just a half-inch of precipitation is expected through Friday night. A potentially windy Saturday, Woodcock said, could exacerbate the fire if it’s still burning then. |
| For thru-hikers attempting to traverse the Appalachian Trail in a single year, the fire has caused an obvious problem. | For thru-hikers attempting to traverse the Appalachian Trail in a single year, the fire has caused an obvious problem. |
| Fortunately, most of them probably won’t reach the area for another two or three weeks — hopefully well after the fire has disappeared. | |
| “You’re talking handfuls, so long as it doesn’t linger,” said John Hedrick of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. “The impact on the numbers is not significant.” | “You’re talking handfuls, so long as it doesn’t linger,” said John Hedrick of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. “The impact on the numbers is not significant.” |
| Even those who shuttled past the closed section won’t be penalized if they go on to finish the rest of the trail, said Hedrick, who completed the hike in 2000. | |
| Still, he’s certain some people will be disappointed. | Still, he’s certain some people will be disappointed. |
| “For me,” he said, “I probably would have gone back and completed that section later on.” | “For me,” he said, “I probably would have gone back and completed that section later on.” |
| Read more: | Read more: |
| Cold air. Then heat. Then terror. | Cold air. Then heat. Then terror. |
| Missing Virginia firefighter’s cellphone files will be reviewed by investigators | Missing Virginia firefighter’s cellphone files will be reviewed by investigators |
| Emergency crews honor Maryland firefighter who died answering 911 call | Emergency crews honor Maryland firefighter who died answering 911 call |