http://inciweb.org/forest/4594/Latest articles for incidents in George Washington and Jefferson National ForestsFri, 09 Jan 2009 16:50:42 -06:00en-ushttp://inciweb.org/incident/closures/article/1494/7933/http://inciweb.org/incident/closures/article/1494/7933/Skyline Road (Forest Service Road 125D) is CLOSED to the public due to heavy traffic and for fire fighterFri, 22 Aug 2008 06:25:00 -06:00http://inciweb.org/incident/announcements/article/1335/6917/http://inciweb.org/incident/announcements/article/1335/6917/The Lee Creek Horse Trail is closed until further notice. Forest Road 183 (Stone Coal Road, Broad Run Road) will be closed from the end of State Road 748 to the intersection with Forest Road 224 (WildlifeSat, 21 Jun 2008 09:00:00 -06:00http://inciweb.org/incident/news/article/1335/6908/http://inciweb.org/incident/news/article/1335/6908/The Stone Coal Fire on Caldwell Mountain in Botetourt County has grown to 100 acres and is being managed as a wildland fire for resource benefit.This method allows fire personnel to manage the fire in a similar manner to prescribed fire where control lines are placed around a specific area and the fire is used to benefit the area by clearing dense brush and creating a more open environment for wildlife. Safety of firefighters is also increased since exposure to an environment with steep, rough terrain, limited access and old coal mines is limited since control lines are established in more accessible areas.Resources ordered to work on the fire include bulldozers that are opening roads on top of the mountain, the Augusta Hotshot Crew and aThu, 19 Jun 2008 16:59:00 -06:00http://inciweb.org/incident/announcements/article/1178/6727/http://inciweb.org/incident/announcements/article/1178/6727/The section of the Blue Ridge Parkway from State Route 56 north to Mile Post 16 at Love Gap reopened at 3 p.m.The section of State Route 56 from in the intersection of Route 608 up to the Blue Ridge Parkway will reopen at 5Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:03:00 -06:00http://inciweb.org/incident/announcements/article/1178/6726/http://inciweb.org/incident/announcements/article/1178/6726/Fire managers in cooperation with Rockbridge County have closed Route 56 from the intersection with Route 608 to the Blue Ridge Parkway as part of a contingency plan to deal with the expanding fire."The fire changed course on the west side last night and moved around the end of the control line," said Incident Commander Glen Stapleton. "We're adjusting our plan and putting in some new fireline along the national forest boundary and tying that into Route 56."There is no immediate threat to any structures and burnout operations may be conducted.A public meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Vesuvius Community Center. The center is located on Cashmill Place near the intersection of Route 56 and South River Road in Vesuvius.Safety officers are also asking the public to not park along Route 608 to watch the fire in the evening and at night since traffic congestion is restricting access and presents a hazard not only to firefighters but for those parked along theFri, 28 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -06:00http://inciweb.org/incident/announcements/article/1178/6725/http://inciweb.org/incident/announcements/article/1178/6725/A section of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Route 56 to Mile Post 16 at Love Gap is closed due to smoke from the St. Mary'sWed, 26 Mar 2008 11:00:00 -06:00http://inciweb.org/incident/news/article/1178/6724/http://inciweb.org/incident/news/article/1178/6724/Buena Vista, Va. �€“ All trails and trailheads in the St. Mary�€™s Wilderness Area on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are closed until further notice due to a wildfire. �€œWe recognize this is a popular area and we want to ensure the safety of our visitors and ask for their cooperation as we work to contain the fire, �€œ said Annie Downing, District Ranger on the Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District. The response is being operated under a unified command and responding agencies include the Virginia Department of Forestry (VADOF), National Park Service (NPS), US Forest Service (USFS) and the Raphine and Montebello Volunteer Fire Departments (VFD). �€œThere�€™s a lot of rough terrain in that area and we�€™re going to be concentrating on taking our time and conducting a good recon of the area to enure we can deploy our resources safely and effectively,�€ said Incident Commander Glen Stapleton. The fire was reported to be 220 acres around 8...Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:39:00 -06:00http://inciweb.org/incident/news/article/1078/6721/http://inciweb.org/incident/news/article/1078/6721/Montvale, Va. - Fire crews began demobilizing after weather helped to contain the 1,488 acre Blackhorse Fire in Bedford County.199 people from multiple federal, state and local agencies battled heavy winds and rough terrain to contain the fire that had caused the evacuation of 25 homes. Glenwood-Pedlar District Ranger Annie Downing praised the work of the firefighters and was grateful to the community for their support and cooperation during the incident."This was a very early start to what could be a long spring fire season," Downing said. "All the recent fire activity across the state shows that fires can occur anywhere and that home and property owners should take precautions to prepare for wildfires."One of the easiest forms of protection is to rake leaves at least 50 feet away from a home. Special attention should be paid to the areas along foundations, near shrubs or other plants and under decks and porches since leaves can pile up providing a ready source of fuel for a fire....Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:00:00 -06:00