UPDATE: The Lovingston brush fire has been contained and the Department of Forestry estimates that 63 acres were burned.

This wildfire is still under investigation but does look like it was human caused. The exact cause will be determined by Wildfire Investigators. So far and I do mean so far, there is still a lot of winter to go, with out the usual amount of rain and snow conditions can quickly become conducive to the start and spread of wildfires. Citizens are asked to be extra careful when doing any outside burning. Keep your piles small, clear a 10-20 foot area around the pile or burn barrel, have water and tools close by and call 911 as soon as possible if your fire does get beyond your control. When fires are small and easier to get to they are more easily suppressed.

If you cause a wildfire to occur you will be responsible for the damages it causes and are also responsible for the suppression costs which can be very costly on a large wildfire. Also and more importantly any wildfire no matter how big or small can be deadly to those men and women responding to the incident.

check out www.firewisevirginia.org www.dof.virginia.gov for more information on preventing wildfires 

The Department of Forestry was able to contain the fire, though there are still burning materials at the scene at this time, and have created a fire line that they believe will hold.
Bill Perry, an Area Forest Specialist for the Virginia Department of Forestry, says "for now, we have to go back in and check all the burning material and make sure nothing flares up and threatens the line."
"Of all the fires we respond to, 90% are caused by human carelessness," Perry said.
With controlled burns, both fire crews and the Department of Forestry recommend using a clear area where fire can't spread, as well as making sure that the area is away from a woodline or tall grass, and having water on hand in case the burn gets out of control.

NELSON COUNTY, VA --
UPDATE:
Crews have told CBS19 that the fire spans 6-10 acres, and that the Department of Forestry has taken over and is back firing the area.

MONDAY 1/19/2015  2 PM

 

 

NELSON COUNTY, VA -- Several fire companies in Nelson County are battling a large forest fire on Mountain Cove Road, near Lovingston.

Nelson County dispatchers say they are not sure the size of the fire, or if it has been contained at all.

Dispatchers have sent companies from Wintergreen, Gladstone, Lovingston, Faber, and North Garden to respond.

According to Blue Ridge Life Magazine, the fire is threatening some homes.

CBS19 will have the latest developments through the afternoon.

 

Something New

This is not an official web site from the VA Dept Of Forestry but one I would like to share in an attempt to get feedback as to it design, content and usefulness.
Please check it out and let me know what you think.

http://vadeptofforestry.wix.com/resource-protection

Winter Weather

Just got off an EOC conference call and it seems like most of Virginia dodged yet another round of severe weather. The eastern portions did have a few issues especially around Ashland and Hanover County where a significant accident has/had I-95 closed for several hours.
Stay safe most of the mess should be cleared up by noon or so.

It may Be Cold Outside but wildfire season will soon be here.

For most recent situation report of wildfire activity for the DOF click the link below.

http://dof.virginia.gov/fire/sit-rep.htm

Other Wildfires In The News

Australia: Wildfire razes 26 homes, 29 people seek treatment

The fires are the worst in terms of scale and intensity since the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 which killed 75 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.

It's Not Wildfires But It's New and Important

South What? … SouthWRAP!

 www.southernwildfirerisk.com/

The Virginia Department of Forestry is pleased to announce a new tool called SouthWRAP (Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal).  This web-based computer program is a one-stop-shop to homeowners, planners, emergency managers and responders that will help determine wildfire risk. In addition to presenting the risk, the site offers measures people can take to mitigate the potential hazards from wildfires.

SouthWRAP enables users in Virginia and 12 other southern states to identify wildfire threats based on landscape characteristics, historical fire occurrence, weather conditions and terrain.  And it directs users to resources that can help them implement wildfire prevention practices.

Accessible at http://www.southernwildfirerisk.com, the portal and its tools are free to use.  Two levels of access are available – professional and public.  The professional-level portal allows full functionality.  (Note: The portal works best using the free Internet browser called Firefox.  Google Chrome is another option.  There is some loss of functionality when using Internet Explorer.)  Professional users can use SouthWRAP to generate a report packaging all the wildfire risk data for specific communities.  This tool can be useful in defining mitigation options, allocating resources and prioritizing programs that will better protect communities.

The Public Viewer is a web mapping application designed to let users zoom to a place of interest, explore map themes, and identify wildfire risk for a specific location on the map. The featured tool in this application is called “What’s Your Risk?” It allows users to identify specific risk levels within a half-mile radius of a home, or any other point of interest on the map. The application is available to all site visitors and site registration is not required to use the application.

The Professional Viewer is a web mapping application designed to support community wildfire protection planning needs of government officials, fire planners, and hazard mitigation planners. The application contains advanced capabilities and additional map themes compared to the Public Viewer. The key features of the application include the capability to define a project area, generate a detailed risk summary report, generate quick maps, and export and download the wildfire risk GIS data. Access to the Professional Viewer requires a user account from SGSF. A Free and easy rregistration to the site is required.

The firefighting community is strongly encouraged to log on, register for the professional portal and become familiar with this important, user-friendly tool.

Fred Turck, VDOF’s Assistant Director for Resource Protection oversees the SouthWRAP program and can be contacted at 434.220.8052 or fred.turck@dof.virginia.gov .